New system for treatment plant

Friday, 24 December 2010

Ohai-Nightcaps will have a new water treatment system, the first of its kind in Southland, next year.

Southland District Council project engineer Bevan McKenzie said Council has accepted tenders from Pall (NZ) Ltd and Marshall Projects Ltd to be main contractors in the upgrade of the Ohai-Nightcaps water treatment plant.

"It will be the first membrane plant built in Southland and we decided to go with this technology because the cost of it has dropped significantly over the years and is now affordable," Mr McKenzie said.

Membrane plants are used throughout the world and have been tried and tested over the past 15 to 20 years. The system gives higher quality water with less chemical use.

"In the past only big cities have been able to afford this kind of treatment but we have been monitoring the costs of it and they have reduced markedly," he said.

The existing water scheme at Ohai-Nightcaps has been identified for major upgrade work because it is unable to meet the New Zealand Drinking Water Standards.

The scheme upgrade is divided into three parts - the water treatment plant, the water main upgrade from Water Road-State Highway 6 junction to Nightcaps reservoir, which is completed, and the water intake upgrade.

The entire project will cost $2.2 million and will receive Ministry of Health funding.