Small community water supply upgrades

Work on ensuring all of our Hastings public drinking water supplies meet new national standards is well underway, including on eight supplies that provide drinking water to our small communities.

The eight community supplies and the number of connections to them are:

Each water supply is being managed as a discrete project (under the one Community Supplies Project umbrella) as each of them have different requirements depending on the water source and the age and state of the existing infrastructure.

The upgrade of small community drinking water is a significant contributor to meeting the aims of the Hastings Drinking Water Strategy (2018). That strategy recognises that safe drinking water is Council’s number one priority.

It was prepared in the wake of the Havelock North water crisis in 2016 and the ensuing Government Inquiry into the reasons for the contamination. That event showed us and the rest of New Zealand just how vulnerable our drinking water supplies can be.

Each of the eight community supplies has been assessed and a preferred plan to improve safety, capacity and resilience prepared. Some are able to be improved on the current sites using the existing water source, while others will benefit from a new water source and new site.

All supplies are being treated with UV light and will continue to be chlorinated. Depending on the source, some supplies also require filtration prior to UV treatment.

Filtration (where required) and UV light treat the water at point of contact, while chlorine keeps the water safe as it travels through the pipe network to homes, schools and businesses.

The timing of improvements on the eight supplies varies, however it is estimated that all will be completed by mid to late 2022.

Information on progress and completed projects is being added to this page as it becomes available.

Whakatū water treatment plant - Ngaruroro Avenue Reserve reclassification

Hastings District Council has resolved to progress the Whakatū water treatment plant upgrade on Ngaruroro Avenue Reserve, in conjunction with enhancing the reserve.
Following public consultation on the project, Council’s water services team is now initiating formal planning processes to reclassify part of the reserve from Recreation Reserve to Local Purpose (public utility) Reserve, to allow for the construction of the water treatment facility, and applying for easements for access and underground infrastructure.
This regulatory process requires public notification of Council’s intention and provides a one month objection period (from October 20 to November 19).

•  You can read the public notice (published in Hawke’s Bay Today, October 20 and 23, and Hastings Leader, October 20) here.
• You can read the documents related to the application here.
• You can make your submission by email here.

 At the same time, an application for Resource Consent to allow a reservoir to be built on the reserve will be applied for, with further details on the public consultation related to that process to be provided as they become available.

Whakatū drinking water supply upgrade

It is the turn of the Whakatū community to have their drinking water supply upgraded, with water storage and a state-of-the-art treatment facility.

It is one of eight community water supplies being upgraded as part of the Hastings District Drinking Water Strategy, designed to ensure safe drinking water for all residents in small communities connected to a Hastings District Council supply. To date Haumoana/Te Awanga/Parkhill, Waimārama, Te Pōhue and Clive have been completed, while Whirinaki/Esk and Waipātiki are under construction.

Community hui with Whakatū residents over the last six months has been focused on the placement of the new water storage reservoir and treatment building. Feedback from the hui has led to a variety of options being explored ahead of a decision on a preferred option.

At the most recent hui in September, Council’s water team and the community attendees reached consensus on the placement of the reservoir and treatment facility on Ngaruroro Avenue Reserve – primarily because of the proximity to existing services to which the improvements need to connect to, and the opportunity this creates to enhance the playground.

Putting the additional facilities on the reserve will impact around 10 per cent of the green space. They will be sited so maximum recreation space is retained, and planting and artwork will be used to mitigate the visual effect. Designer’s impressions of possible mitigation measures are shown on this page, along with a plan view illustrating the layout of the new water treatment plant and reservoir.

The drinking water project also enables a planned upgrade of the playground to be brought forward from the 2029/2030 financial year, with additional items of play equipment added. Concepts for the new play equipment include the district’s first double flying fox, a new half basketball court, new swings and climbing frame, and community barbecue and seating.

The proposal will now go to Council on October 14 for its consideration. If Council approves the plan, the processes of reclassifying the part of the park required for water treatment and applying for Resource Consent will commence. Both of those processes include formal public consultation.