Lianne Dalziel: No quick fix for wastewater treatment plant stench

Opinion

OPINION

The November 1, 2021 fire at the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant was huge and the stench it is causing is having a massive impact on residents, especially those who live nearby.

I know that some councillors have been saying they think they could fix the smell, but we have a responsibility to investigate the actual feasibility of any such options.

We have had to carry out an extensive investigation into the fire and the damage it has caused, while working through what is a massive insurance claim. It has taken months, but for a city that knows the insurance claim process as well as we do, a multimillion-dollar claim will take time to resolve.

The insurance company has provided $10 million so we have been able to progress the sourcing of aerators and pumps to enable the trickling filters to be bypassed, as well as investigate the damage to the plant.

The fire-damaged Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant at Bromley.

Thursday's scheduled presentation at the finance and performance committee meeting is to ensure everyone could see what is happening.

There are two distinct causes of the smell and tackling them requires different approaches.

One relates to the quality of wastewater going into the oxidation ponds without the trickling filters. We are adding hydrogen peroxide and churning oxygen into the wastewater and oxidation ponds with aerators.

Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalzeil. Photo / George Heard.

The other cause is the material inside the trickling filters, which putrefies when it gets wet and starts to dry.

Our insurer has now agreed that the filter media needs to be removed regardless of whether this is a repair or a rebuild. So we're directly appointing a contractor to do this.

I know people would prefer there was a quick fix to the stench, but there isn't. Believe me, if there was we'd be doing it.

• Lianne Dalziel is the mayor of Christchurch.

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