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A homely reminder on wastewater disposal
One of my friends recently found that when
tree roots cut off the sewer and wastewater
pipes it takes very little time for life to become
unpleasant indeed. Warning number one came right at the start
of a major bout of winter ‘flu in the home. Pre-schoolers with “sicks” were already putting
pressure on the washing
machine when the
water from a family
wash came back up the
drain and over the
backyard. While this was a
bother, it was also at
least just the “grey”
water that some
conser vation-minded
homes already put on
their gardens. Warning number two — that tree roots were
at work — was not nearly as pleasant. As my friend, said there is nothing like a rogue
toilet to remind those with a sense of history of
one of the main reasons why city councils were
set up in the first place. With one failed flush they had an individual
problem that, left alone, would have rapidly
turned into a collective health problem. It was an instant health hazard that required
immediate action. One tree root-eating-machine visit from a
plumber and $70 later the problem was solved.
Normal service has been resumed. As my friend, said it was a sharp reminder of
how in a city with quality infrastructure and
services we can all tend to take key services for
granted. Until the service stops. It also stood as a good reminder via one
household of the collective problems and issues
we face as a city about how we deal with our
wastewater disposal. As we prepare to re-visit this issue I think it is
wor h saying publicly
that, for a variety of
reasons, our original aim
got lost in the debate. We did not succeed in
getting our key message
across. To put this message in
context I’ll remind you
all that last year the
American “Governing”
magazine rated
Christchurch as “the best run city in the world’’. That was a verdict from people with no axe to
grind and no aim but to look for the best
example to show to their global readership. It was a huge honour. One that I believe we earned in part because
of our great infrastructure and commitment to
quality. Our key aim in the original plan for our
wastewater and sewerage disposal was to focus
on quality, not cost. While cost must be a consideration it cannot
be allowed to eclipse quality as our first aim. As a city I think we have made huge strides
forward in how we view our lives as part of the
whole environment rather than apart from it as
in the past. The passion the public have shown for
recycling shows me that the will to do our best
for our corner of the planet is strong and
growing. We will need to show the same commitment
to doing the right thing as we work our way
through to a fresh solution to our waste disposal
issues. Perhaps in the long haul it will turn out to be
no bad thing that our old “flush and forget”
attitude has been challenged. But while we look in some ways to be back at
the start line with this issue it is also worth
pointing out that we have learnt a lot
scientifically and socially along the way. Our collective knowledge about the science
and mechanics of wastewater disposal has been
greatly increased. We have also seen vividly how passionate
people are about their natural environment in
this city. I think it is vital, as we start again, to emphasise
once more that we share one common goal in
all this. That is to make this first and foremost a
debate about quality, and then cost. Our moral duty to the past, present and future
of Christchurch and its superb natural environment
means that this must be our approach. |