Wairarapa Council Taking Back Capital Projects From Wellington Water

Wednesday, 28 May 2025, 7:54 pm
Article: Emily Ireland - Local Democracy Reporter

South Wairarapa District Council will start to remove its capital projects from Wellington Water management from July.

A report detailing the move also highlighted the massive issues facing South Wairarapa's wastewater assets, including the non-compliant Greytown and Martinborough wastewater treatment plants.

Earlier this month, the council voted to progress a Wairarapa-Tararua water entity with Carterton, Masterton, and Tararua with the intent of the new organisation going live by no later than July 2027.

A report to the Wellington Water Committee said South Wairarapa District Council had approved a transition strategy that included keeping operations and maintenance services with Wellington Water for the transition period but returning capital renewals and capital projects to council management from July 1 this year.

It was understood this decision was made in public exclusion.

The Wellington Water Committee report further details the state of South Wairarapa’s infrastructure, painting a picture of massive investment need for the district’s wastewater facilities.

The Greytown Wastewater Treatment Plant is non-compliant and major investments were needed to meet compliance requirements, with the current levels of approved funding insufficient,“ the report said.

The plant remained over its capacity, prompting a halt on new connections last year.

A project to develop a second stage of land irrigation was underway, however this has been paused since April following the leaseholder organising a contractor to level and reseed the land.

Significant irrigator track reconstruction was required and pasture established before irrigation could recommence.

In Martinborough, where new wastewater connections have been halted for two years so far, the wastewater treatment plant also remained over its capacity and non-compliant.

A ‘To Do Abatement Notice’ listed the work required at the plant, including desludging, which began in April 2025.

Wellington Water did not meet the deadline and received a $750 fine.

A new deadline of 24 July 2025 has been set.

The Wellington Water report said major investment was still needed as the current funding fell short.

In Featherston, the wastewater treatment plant was currently compliant but required major investment to secure a new consent.

Renewal of the consent was being managed as a major project, and the treatment plant was operating on an extension of the old consent.

The ongoing consent approval process aimed to accommodate future growth needs beyond 2032.

A consent hearing was planned for June 2025.

“We understand there may be a change in the funding to implement the upgrades proposed in the resource consent application,” the Wellington Water report said.

“This could limit the ability to obtain the consent or result in conditions that cannot be met.

“This risk has been escalated through project governance structures and to South Wairarapa District Council.”

The Lake Ferry wastewater treatment plant was compliant but needed more investment.

All of South Wairarapa’s water treatment plants were compliant with regulatory requirements for bacterial and protozoal rules, though further process assurance work was necessary on all except Pirinoa.

The Wellington Water Committee was set to meet on May 30 at 10am in Lower Hutt.

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