Cure for Pahiatua Water Woes
Tararua District Council has conducted extensive research for several years to find a solution for Pahiatua’s water problems. Due to a decline in the volume of Pahiatua’s bore, there have been searches for a supplement supply but unfortunately, several sites assessed were not deemed suitable, as they could not meet the volume required.
The Mangatainoka River as the additional source is the only option found that meets the required volume. However, the river water has impurities, taste and smell issues. To resolve this, membrane technology will be used to filter and treat both river and bore water.
The new plant is planned to be adjacent to the existing water and wastewater treatment plants, it will have more room to allow future upgrades if population or demand grows. With the use of filters and membrane technology, the plant will be able to treat water to high levels of turbidity. With two sources it provides resilience when river water is cut off due to high turbidity or algae blooms, the bore and new reservoir can still supply four to five days of treated water.
The Tararua District Council has formed an alliance with Filtec to work collaboratively towards the right results. Filtec is building the water treatment process inside the plant, Morris and Bailey are undertaking the civil works.
Together, we are making water safer for Pahiatua.
