Recycled water was used to irrigate Pupuke Golf Course in the mid 2000s. Photo / Herald
Recycled water was used to irrigate Pupuke Golf Course in the mid 2000s. Photo / Herald
Former North Shore Mayor George Wood wants to know why recycled water cannot be used to irrigate parks and golf courses during the Auckland drought.
Wood says in his time as mayor in the mid 2000s recycled water from Rosedale wastewater treatment plant was successfully trialled at the Pupuke Golf Course at Campbells Bay.
The former council had plans to extend the trial to the North Shore Golf Course at Schnapper Rock, he said.
However, an attempt by Wood to put forward a water recycling proposal at the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board where he is deputy chairman has fallen foul of council officers who have advised members not to support the proposal.
Watercare's advice is it would pose health risks, the law does not permit the reuse of wastewater in the manner suggested by Wood and would require a resource consent, said Local Board services relationship manager Eric Perry.
He said Watercare was of the view recycled water will become relevant in future but in the meantime the best action is to use other water sources, such as increasing the city's water supply from the Waikato River.
Former North Shore Mayor George Wood. Photo / Dean Purcell.
Wood disputed Watercare's line, saying the water that comes out of Rosedale is almost to drinking standard and giga litres are being poured 2.5km out to sea off Mairangi Bay.
He said water recycling is used widely overseas, including on sports fields, golf courses, racecourses and parks, in Sydney and the United Kingdom.
What's more, he said Watercare are contradicting themselves by providing tanker loads of non-potable water to businesses for outdoor water-blasting and cleaning purposes.
Today, the Local Board supported Wood's notice of motion proposal to seek more details from Watercare on using recycled water from Rosedale for irrigating parks, reserves and golf courses.
A Watercare spokeswoman said bore water was different to recycled wastewater because it is good quality water used as drinking water, whereas recycled wastewater, that while treated to a high standard, still has the potential to contain bacteria.
She said the water being used for businesses comes from a bore at Three Kings Quarry and delivered by tanker to a site in Penrose. Yesterday, there were 25 fill-ups of 27,000 litres of water.
Tomorrow, Watercare hopes to confirm two further sites of non-potable water for business use, the spokeswoman said.
