Progress made to fix Shotover wastewater treatment plant issues, QLDC says
The Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) says it's already made progress in fixing issues with its troubled Shotover wastewater treatment plant, and is ahead of plans to significantly upgrade the plant by the end of the year.
It comes after the Environment Court imposed a number of conditions on the plant to address negative effects on the environment.
The decision, released on Monday, outlined seven pages of separate enforcement orders, including upgrades, contingency measures, timeframes and milestones to be met.
It was released after mediation between QLDC, Queenstown Airport Corporation and Otago Regional Council.
QLDC general manager of property and infrastructure Tony Avery said the orders largely reflected activities and investments the council had already identified and committed to.
"We're ahead of our programme to significantly upgrade the wastewater treatment plant by the end of this year, which will introduce a second treatment reactor and a range of supporting infrastructure to further improve the quality of treated water discharged from the facility and cater for our growing district."
He said the results of ongoing testing of the treated wastewater since direct discharge began remained well within consented limits.
The Environment Court's requirements relate to the operation, maintenance and upgrading of the facility, and include but are not limited to:
- Enhancements to the facility's operations and maintenance manual, sampling and monitoring regime, and operator training procedures.
- Completion of upgrade works already underway at the facility by 31 December 2025.
- Decommissioning the facility's remaining oxidation ponds by 31 December 2027.
The decision also requires QLDC to submit a consent application for a new disposal system by May 2026, and to implement that system by December 2030.
