Pump station fears rebuffed

A Riversdale resident who says pump stations installed as part of Masterton District Council's $9 million Riversdale sewerage scheme are hazardous has had his concerns quashed by council.

Ian Bailey, a former Tararua district councillor, said the sewerage pump stations on the footpath at Blue Pacific Pde block the footpath for people because they rise 300mm above the surface. He said these can be especially hazardous for parents with prams or older people.

Mr Bailey said the pumps were supposed to be on the road, during the public consultation process.

"We didn't know until they put them in. Originally, the plans were for on the road."

Mr Bailey has been in contact with council via email numerous times over the year from when the pumps were installed.

"They've been reluctant to do anything about it," he said.

Mr Bailey was aware other residents shared his concerns but said they did not want to create any conflict with council.

Council had installed bollards around the pumps but Mr Bailey said they were installed "not for pedestrian safety but to stop motor vehicles damaging the pumping stations".

Although he hadn't seen any incidents himself, he had heard of a car driving into one of the pumps.

"My solution to the problem is for them to shift the speed humps to where the pumping station is ... and the footpath around them," he said.

Council special projects manager Ian Steer said the six pump stations are located in the grass berms or on the shoulders of the road.

He said they are about 200mm above the ground as a flood precaution, and the "level of detail on which the community were consulted did not extend to identifying pump stations, manholes and other related structures".

"In the detailed design the pump stations were shown as being located in grass berms and in the road shoulders," he said.

Mr Steer said the six pump stations are spread out along 8km of road and should not present a safety issue.

He said Mr Bailey's concerns were investigated by council consultants, who recommended bollard and ropes be installed around the pumps to reduce the potential for people to trip over them.

He said this work had been completed and council had no further plans.

Riversdale Ratepayers Association chairman Bill Roberts said: 'It's unfortunate the council and their advisers saw fit to put the pumps in such a prominent position ... but I'm realistic to say that they're there."