Residents and visitors of Raglan may have noticed a bit of an odd smell in the air these summer holidays.
The Raglan Wastewater treatment plant has struggled to keep up with the increased population over this holiday season and as a result, has been giving off an unpleasant odour.
The sudden population increase has stressed the treatment ponds, exceeding treatment capability and the good bugs and bacteria doing the treatment cannot keep up with the increased volume of wastewater. This has enabled an algae bloom to thrive which also gives of an odour.
However, while it has struggled, the plant has remained within the plants standard discharge specifications.
What are we doing?
Watercare having been working hard to manage and mitigate the impact, increasing operations and pond management to optimise the treatment plants capability and reduce the odour. Additionally, an odour neutralising cannon has been installed at the plant to assist with odour control.
Watercare are currently awaiting the return of lab results, this will help us to fully understand the treatments ponds performance and create a plan for appropriate enhance controls to be put in place – eliminating the odour causing outcomes.
Waikato District Council is currently building a new advanced wastewater treatment plant, membrane bioreactor (MBR), which will replace the aging ponds-based wastewater treatment plant. The MBR will be commissioned before June 2025 and will eliminate these issues in the future.
