Featherston Wastewater Treatment Plant

The applicant, South Wairarapa District Council (SWDC) has made an application to the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) for resource consent to continue the discharge of treated wastewater into Donalds Creek and contaminants to air from the Featherston Wastewater Treatment Plant (FWWTP). The applicant has applied for a ten-year consent duration to obtain information through environmental monitoring and implement a series of upgrades that are detailed below and within the Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE) and has requested that the application be publicly notified under s95A(3)(a) of the RMA. The existing consent suite (WAR970080) expired on 25 August 2012 and the plant has been operating under s124 of the Act.

The following resource consents have been sought from GWRC:

Project description 

The applicant is proposing improvements to the operation of the FWWTP that will be delivered in stages over a 10-year period. This will include upgrades to the existing plant and changes in the method and location of discharging treated wastewater to Donalds Creek and to a constructed wetland and land application areas.

Changes in the method and location of discharging treated wastewater to the environment are expected to lessen effects on surface water and improvements include: 

• New inlet screen - to remove large solids and un-biodegradable waste from entering the oxidation ponds
• Oxidation pond baffles and aeration - to improve/increase pond treatment capacity and reduce flow short-circuiting and BOD₅ at the plant outlet
• Clarification system, e.g. Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) - to reduce suspended solids and solids-bound contaminants in the pond effluent discharge
• Constructed wetlands and revegetated area - to reduce wastewater derived suspended solids, nitrogen, and phosphorus through plant uptake and land contact of treated wastewater; and reduce cultural impact of wastewater discharge by providing land contact
• New land application area - to reduce suspended solids and nutrients in surface water discharge through plant uptake and land application of treated wastewater; and reduce cultural impact of wastewater discharge by discharging to land

Application documents 

Full details of the application, including the Assessment of Environmental Effects report and all supporting information, can be viewed in the document library on this page. Alternatively, a hard copy can be viewed during opening hours at:  

Submissions 

Any person may make a submission on this application. Please note the following information for writing a submission:

• You may make a submission by filling in the online submission form or by sending a written or electronic submission to GWRC at PO Box 41, Masterton 5840 or notifications@gw.govt.nz. Alternatively, submissions can be dropped off in person at Greater Wellington Regional Council offices during office hours. The submission must be in the prescribed form. Copies of this form are available from GWRC, please contact us on 0800 496 734 or notifications@gw.govt.nz. 

• You must serve a copy of your submission to South Wairarapa District Council (the applicant), via email or post, as soon as reasonably practicable after serving your submission on GWRC. Please send these to South Wairarapa District Council, C/O GHD, Attention: Helen Anderson, PO Box 1746, Wellington 6140 or helen.anderson@ghd.com. If you fill in the online submission form below, this will happen automatically.

• Your submission may become publicly available if a request for it is made under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987. As a submitter, you are legally required to provide a copy of your full submission, including your personal details to the applicant. Please refer to the privacy statement under Important Links.

• For guidance on writing a submission, and the submission process, you can refer to the Ministry for the Environment's guidance document