Charges may rise over sewage

The harbour next to Katikati's picturesque Ongare Point is contaminated by leaking septic tanks.

Te Puke and Katikati ratepayers could end up paying higher effluent charges to satisfy opposition from Maori to treated sewage being pumped into waterways and the ocean.

The prospect of "considerable costs" associated with the long-term option of disposing of sewage onto land has been flagged by Western Bay District Council following preliminary discussions with hapu and iwi representatives.

The issue has arisen because the council needs to issue new consents for the Te Puke and Katikati wastewater treatment plants. It is part of a sequence of potentially expensive upgrades that include eliminating dysfunctional septic tanks polluting the harbour at Ongare Point and Te Puna.

Western Bay councillor Garry Webber

A report due to be presented to a council meeting on Thursday said there had been significant legislative developments since the original consents were granted for Te Puke and Katikati.

"In addition hapu and iwi directly affected by the discharges have clearly stated their opposition to the current method of disposal," senior policy analyst Marc Fauvel said.

He warned the re-consenting due to be completed by October 2016 may not be an easy journey.

Mr Fauvel said the outcomes would contribute to the review of the wastewater strategy which Thursday's meeting was being asked to reschedule for two years to the 2017-18 financial year.

The last comprehensive review of the strategy was in 2006, with the 2011-12 review deferred until the development of the Omokoroa and Maketu wastewater schemes.

Western Bay councillor Garry Webber (pictured) said a cluster of about 55 homes at the end of Snodgrass Rd, Te Puna, were unable to cope with sewage onsite.

He said some septic tanks were so low-lying that people could not flush their toilets at high tide. The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has imposed a deadline to overcome the issues of contamination of the harbour at Te Puna West and Ongare Point.

Mr Webber said the waste from Te Puna could be pumped into the pipeline that took Omokoroa's sewage to Tauranga. Ongare Point would have a purpose-built wastewater treatment plant.

He said the Te Puna West scheme was only designed to service the cluster of harbourside homes.

Western Bay's effluent hot spots

Ongare Point: Land disposal scheme for 51 lots costing up to $1 million (2008)

Te Puna West: On-site treatment plant for up to 60 lots costing about $4 million (2008)

Katikati and Te Puke: Sewage treatment plants need new consents.