The City Council’s Sustainable Transport and Utilities Committee (STU) will hear verbal submissions this month on what water quality and beach standards people expect when the city’s wastewater is piped out to sea. City Council Senior Projects Engineer John Moore says more than 200 written submissions were received. Submissions closed on 31 March.

“The written and verbal submissions, along with oceanographic and ecological studies, and cost considerations, will help the Council decide which options to pursue when building the Ocean Outfall, such as how far the pipeline will go out to sea,” says Mr Moore.

The submissions are being heard on 26 and 27 April.

The full Council is expected to make a decision on water quality and beach standards later this year.

Background
In 2001, the City Council applied for an extension for another 15 years to continue discharging the city’s wastewater into the Estuary, based on upgrades being carried out to the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant.

However, following appeals, Environment Canterbury granted the City Council consent only until 2009, which meant it had to come up with another way. In October 2002 the Council agreed to the preparation of an Assessment of Environmental Effects for an Ocean Outfall via a pipeline no less than 2km long.

It is expected that the Ocean Outfall will be completed around 2009, depending on how long the planning and consents process takes.

For more information see: www.ccc.govt.nz/OceanOutfall/