Photo: LDR / Emily Ireland
Greytown's drinking water infrastructure is at increasing risk of failure.
Its only bore is in such a poor condition that Wellington Water said it was "in too fragile state to take offline to undertake an upgrade" in 2022.
Residents are now being asked what multimillion dollar solution they would prefer for Greytown.
The cost would be shared by all South Wairarapa ratepayers who can be connected to district water supply.
The cheapest option on the table was to build an additional bore in Soldiers Memorial Park, utilising existing infrastructure, at a cost of $3-4 million.
This proposal would remove the temporary container for the existing plant from the main car park and replace it with a new containerised plant located away from the parking area, returning the carpark to the community.
The other options were to build a new water treatment plant and bore on the old borough council yard on West St for between $5.8-6.8m, or to buy new land in the Kuratāwhiti St area and build a new water treatment plant and bore for between $6.1-$7.3m.
Greytown's existing water infrastructure was at Soldiers Memorial Park.
The council said the existing bore pump and motor were "in a very poor condition, at increasing risk of failure, and needs replacement".
The ageing treatment plant and equipment were also in a very poor condition and needed to be replaced.
Currently, it is not possible to undertake maintenance of the existing pump or bore without disrupting water supply to Greytown.
Without regular maintenance, the bore is an an increase risk of failure.
Last April, Wellington Water ran an initial engagement with the intent to build a new bore within Soldiers Memorial Park, but this was knocked back by a council committee due to the cultural and historical significance of the site.
The site was bought by the Greytown Borough Council in 1919 to serve as a war memorial.
There was also a view that the proposal lacked a strategic approach to investment in Greytown's water treatment and delivery.
Should this option be progressed, the timeframe to build was estimated to be 1-2 years.
Should the council choose to pursue the old borough council yard option on West St, it would take 2-3 years to consent and build.
This parcel of land was home to the Greytown Menz Shed and its future use was a bone of contention for many in the Greytown community last triennium.
Some wanted the land to be sold for commercial development and others wanted it retained.
The final water project option involved buying new land in the Kuratāwhiti St area and would have an estimated construction timeframe of 3-5 years.
New wastewater and stormwater connections would be needed for each option.
The council froze new connections to wastewater this year because the Greytown wastewater plant is at capacity.
In its consultation, which launched on Monday, people were asked whether the project should be funded through a district-wide targeted rate or a mix of this and a Greytown targeted rate.
Under a district-wide targeted rate, the most expensive option would add up to $146 to the annual rates bill.
The cheapest option would add up to $80 per year.
For the mixed targeted rates option, Greytown ratepayers would pay up to $275 for the most expensive option while residents living in the other South Wairarapa towns would pay up to $80.
The project is listed in the council's Enhanced Annual Plan for this year and is partially budgeted for.
Consultation would close on 9 October.
As part of the consultation, the council would host a public event at Soldiers Memorial Park on Saturday, 28 September between 10am - 12pm.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
