Te Pohue School student inspired by drinking water treatment plant and storage tank visit

Pupils Braxton Scott, Jonathon Sturm and Brooke Lemalu with HDC water treatment operator Jason Collins. Photo / Supplied

While most Kiwi school children aspire to be doctors, farmers or an All Black, one Te Pohue School student is now targeting a career as a drinking water engineer.

Nine-year-old Braxton Scott was one of 28 students to get a close-up look at Te Pohue's new drinking water treatment plant and storage tank.

Hastings District Council drinking water operator Jason Collins spoke to students about where their water supply came from, how the new plant would operate and the features to keep the water safe.

The new treatment plant, which has three protection barriers - filters, UV light treatment and chlorination, is going through its commissioning phase, which tests the pipes, valves, instruments and connections.

This is expected to be completed by early April, after which water will flow through to the taps of homes on the reticulated supply.

Te Pohue School principal Richard Gillespie said visiting the site just 20 steps from the school's front gate was "powerful".

"Our senior students have been studying technology in class and they got a great deal out of the on-site visit, especially the design phase – the importance of planning, the engineering and in terms of the chlorination.

"It's led to discussions this week comparing the much greater amount of chlorine in our swimming pool, compared to the water supply."

Asked at the talk who would consider a career within the water industry, Braxton's hand was the first and only to go up.

Braxton said he had a particular interest in the hi-tech insides of the treatment plant.

Gillespie said the younger children could relate to the water cycle presentation from Collins and construction contractor water engineer Andrew McKeown, because they had been studying the life cycles of animals and insects in class.

"Andrew could relate the things they are doing in school now to elements of his work – helping the kids to see the importance of what they're doing," he said.

Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the upgrading of Hastings' eight small community supplies was a major step towards the goal of supplying safe drinking water to all residents on council-owned supplies.

Te Pōhue and Haumoana/Te Awanga are the first two small community supplies to be completed, with Waimarama, Clive and Whirinaki/Esk in the construction phase.

Planning work is completed for Waipatiki with construction scheduled to start soon and community consultation on the Whakatu upgrade is under way. Discussions with the Waipatu community are due to be held.