Thursday 9 July

Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant update

Stone column installation nears completion 

Work on the activated sludge reactor continues to make good progress despite some challenging winter weather. While parts of the South Island have experienced severe conditions this week, we've been fortunate to avoid the worst of it and our teams have continued working through cold and wet conditions on site.

The stone column work is now nearing completion, with just 99 columns left to install. The team is aiming to finish this stage by next Thursday, marking a significant milestone for the project.

From 20 July work will move into the next phase with the removal of the crane pad from beneath the future treatment plant. As part of this work, residents may notice an increase in truck movements between the construction site and the ponds as material is removed.

Installation of the gravel platform is scheduled to begin at the end of July. This will involve heavy compaction equipment, including rollers, preparing the site for the next stages of construction.

In our newsletter next week we should be able to share a photo of the final stone column being installed. Until then, we hope you have a wonderful Matariki weekend celebrating and connecting with friends and whānau.

Pond health and odour, and what to expect this weekend.

The ponds continue to operate well, with recent changes to the way flows are managed showing encouraging results. Despite the wet weather experienced over the past few days, the ponds have remained stable and continued to perform well.

Another positive sign is the healthy algae growth being seen in ponds 5 and 6 compared with the same time last winter. Healthy algae growth plays an important role in the pond treatment process and is an indicator that the ponds remain biologically active.

With the forecast for drier, sunnier conditions over the weekend, we expect the ponds to remain stable and will continue to closely monitor pond performance and odour conditions.

Electrical works continue on ponds

Work is progressing well on the next stage of the aerator project, which will connect the aerators to permanent power and allow more units to be installed.

More than 60% of the trenching needed for new electrical cabling has now been completed, with crews having finished over 1.1 km of trenching so far. Installation of ducts and backfilling are also underway, and the main trenching work is expected to be finished by the end of July.

Construction of the new switchboard remains on track for completion by the end of August. Work is also progressing on the high-voltage connections and transformer relocation, with Connetics expected to begin on-site works in early August.

The project team is planning to install the remaining aerators from late August. The aerators are expected to transition from generator power to permanent electrical power in early September, with the full automated system scheduled to be operational by mid-September.

This work builds on the eight new aerators already operating in the ponds and marks an important step towards improving the resilience of our pond system.

Stay updated

We want everyone to be able to stay updated on what's happening at the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant, and we regularly post new information on ccc.govt.nz/wastewaterfire 

You're welcome to send this update to your networks. If you know someone in the community who doesn’t have email or internet access, please print this newsletter off and pass it to them.

If you know of anyone who would like to receive this e-newsletter they can subscribe online. 

If you have any questions, or would like further information on the project, please call us on 03 941 8999 or 0800 800 169 or email wastewater@ccc.govt.nz  

Thanks for your patience and understanding. We’ll be in touch again soon.