Public meeting to outline proposals to improve beach water quality in Browns Bay and Mairangi Bay

The North Shore City Council is hosting a public meeting tomorrow to explain the options for upgrading the sewerage network in Browns Bay and improve beach water quality in Browns and Mairangi Bays.

The proposed works are part of Project CARE, the council’s 20-year programme of work to improve the performance of the wastewater network and reduce the number of wet weather sewage overflows.

Once completed, the improvements will significantly reduce the number of wet weather sewage overflows onto both Browns and Mairangi Bays.

The meeting will be held at the Bays Club, Anzac Rd, Browns Bay, tomorrow (Tuesday 26 November), from 7pm to 9pm.

North Shore City’s general manager water services, Geoff Mason, says the meeting is an opportunity for the public to find out more about the proposed solutions, and have their questions answered.

“After extensive investigations we’ve identified a preferred solution, and two alternatives, which would capture the increased flows that result following a storm and reduce sewage overflows,” Mr Mason says.

An average of six wet weather sewage overflow events occur at Browns Bay and an average of 10 at Mairangi Bay each year. It is council’s priority to reduce wet weather sewage overflow events to a maximum of two a year.

The meeting signals the beginning of a month-long public consultation programme to listen to the community’s preferences, before the council decides which option to proceed with.

Geoff Mason says it is inevitable that major construction work causes some disruption and inconvenience in the community.

“For this reason we want to hear the community’s views and understand how we can best manage the construction to minimise the inconvenience to residents and businesses,” he says.

A display with a video explaining the need for the work and outlining the proposed solutions, will be set up at the council’s East Coast Bays area office and library. Members of the public are invited to view the video and give their feedback. Brochures with a feedback form will be available at the meeting and alongside the displays.

Fourteen storage options have been considered in the search for the best solution to the Browns Bay and Mairangi Bay overflow problem. As a result of the investigations three options are recommended for consideration by the community:

A large sewer, approximately 2.5 metres in diameter, along Beach Front Lane and Anzac Rd; An underground storage tank located adjacent to the existing pumping station in Browns Bay Rd; or An underground storage tank located beneath the Esplanade Reserve, near the corner of Anzac Rd and Beach Front Lane.

Upgrading of the Beach Front Lane and Anzac Rd sewers will still be needed in future years with both of the storage tank options. This will be done by tunneling and will involve increasing the size of these sewers to just under one metre in diameter. Repairs will also be made to other private and public sewers over the next 10 years.

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