Shortlisted options for Featherston's long-term wastewater treatment range from $30 million to $215m, a recent Wellington Water report states.
Hodder Farm in Featherston, where land-based wastewater irrigation trials would be underway. Photo: LDR / Jade Cvetkov
But the details of these options and specific costs remain under wraps, despite elected members making pleas for South Wairarapa District Council (SWDC) to release information.
Local Democracy Reporting has also requested that SWDC release a December report on the options and costings under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act [LGOIMA].
The report was only presented to council staff, not elected members or the public.
SWDC has refused this request on the grounds of "[maintaining] the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions by or between or to members or officers or employees of any local authority".
Featherston Community Board member Claire Bleakley has now filed a notice of motion asking the council to "provide the options and costings of the options they were presented by Wellington Water".
The community board was due to meet on Monday night at 7pm at the Kiwi Hall.
Featherston's wastewater treatment process has been a long-winded affair and has been going on for several years.
SWDC applied for a consent for upgrades to its Featherston wastewater operation in 2017.
In an effort to clean up Donald's Creek and Lake Wairarapa, the council proposed to progressively move to discharge the town's UV-treated wastewater to land rather than waterways.
However, overwhelming public opposition to land-based irrigation of UV-treated wastewater led to a series of hearings, which were cancelled three times.
In March 2020, the council canned the Featherston proposals and started again with its new infrastructure partner, Wellington Water.
A long list of options went out for engagement in late 2020, led by SWDC and Wellington Water.
Councillors received a shortlist of options and cost estimates in February 2021 via a memo.
These were never made public.
A Wellington Water spokesperson said the options it presented to the council in February 2021 were "all very expensive".
They said the council had asked for further information on options that were more affordable and consentable.
In December 2021, after reviewing the shortlist and addressing additional information requests from SWDC, Wellington Water presented a modified shortlist to council staff.
Elected members have not seen this information.
In his recent column in the Featherston Phoenix, South Wairarapa Mayor Alex Beijen said the council "[keeps] getting proposals that cannot be presented as options to the public due to their extreme costs".
"Additionally, we don't know the government's new standards for wastewater discharge, so we could settle on an option only for it to be redundant before it's built."
Featherston's wastewater treatment plant is currently operating on an extended expired consent from Greater Wellington Regional Council.
The extension is due to end in 2023.
Wellington Water's short-term solution maintains primary discharge to Donald's Creek and land-based irrigation trials at Hodder Farm.
Bleakley has put forward other motions for tonight's meeting, including requesting that the Featherston Community Board "ask the council to write to Wellington Water to stop all effluent to land tests".
She has also asked that cost-effective tertiary viable options be considered.
Tertiary treatment of effluent involves a series of additional steps after secondary treatment to further reduce organics, turbidity, nitrogen, phosphorus, metals, and pathogens.
Most processes involve some type of physicochemical treatment such as coagulation, filtration, activated carbon adsorption of organics, reverse osmosis, and additional disinfection.
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