Crucial report on water supply options

Council is to consider reducing the number of Water Supply options to four, according to a report prepared for Council consideration on June 24.

“Originally there were 31 options on the table,” says Mayor Jenny Rowan. “Over recent months a considerable amount of research has been done and the list of options whittled to eight.

“Our consultants have now come back to us, suggesting four of the eight possible options can be put on hold, either because they are well outside our $23 million (2010 dollars) budget, or because of other considerations, or both.

“The recommendations will now be discussed by Council on Thursday (June 24).”

Consultants have recommended that the proposed Kapakapanui dam ($43.4 million), Ngatiawa dam ($31.9 million), Extended borefield, large storage ($56.1 million) and Extended borefield, small storage ($42 million) be put on hold.

They are recommending to Council further investigation for the Lower Maungakotukutuku dam ($25.1 million), Aquifer storage and recovery ($22.6 million), River recharge with groundwater ($18.9 million) and an Extended borefield, no storage ($29.7 million) should continue.

Ms Rowan said a lot of hard work, some of it involving difficult field conditions, had been undertaken to reduce the original 31 options to the current short list of four.
 
“There has been some cost over-runs. I understand that some are associated with work having been brought forward; some associated with extra work having been done; some of that on additional options, but we have been assured that project costs will remain within the over-all budget set in the 2009 LTCCP.”

Ms Rowan said it made sense to drop options which fell well outside the budget. “Clearly we will save money from not undertaking any further research on those options. By putting them on hold, it will also provide people affected by those options with greater assurance about the future.”

She wanted to especially thank the Technical Advisory Group for its “very comprehensive” and “thorough” job undertaken.

“Team members have given hundreds of hours of their time freely to this project to ensure we get the best possible outcome for the community.”

Ms Rowan said updated costs associated with taking water from the Otaki River would be included in the final report to Council in August in the interest of openness and transparency.

“The Otaki community has made their feelings clear and our preference is for an in-catchment solution.”