Maketu/Little Waihi wastewater scheme - Affordability versus sustainability

The Western Bay of Plenty District Council serves one of New Zealand’s fastest growing areas.

With a current population of just over 42,000 the Western Bay District is forecast to grow to over 60,000 by 2026.

Against this background one of the challenges facing the Western Bay of Plenty District Council is managing expectations around prudent financial stewardship from a growing customer base in an environment of increasing compliance and monitoring requirements.

Fundamental to this challenge has been developing cost effective and environmentally sustainable solutions to address failing septic tanks in rural coastal communities.

Since 1998 the Council has been investigating wastewater collection and disposal options for Maketu, Little Waihi and Pukehina, a community of some 1,800 people situated 30km to the south east of Tauranga.

Four key issues needed to be considered and addressed as part of the investigation process:

• Affordability and inter-generational equity
• Environmental effects
• Cultural issues
• Engineering / physical constraint

This paper focuses on the merits of affordability versus sustainability applied to the development of a wastewater treatment solution for Maketu, Little Waihi and Pukehina.