Methven’s new membrane plant almost ready

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:

Methven locals will be able to sleep soundly next time it starts raining without worrying about boil water notices.

The $9.4 million Methven water supply upgrade is in the final phase of testing and could be online next week, Ashburton District Council’s infrastructure and open spaces group manager Neil McCann says.

“So no more boil water notices.”

The end to the troublesome boil water with the new membrane treatment plant coming online will be a big relief to the community, including Methven resident and deputy mayor Liz McMillan.

“We’ll be able to sleep now when it starts raining,” McMillan said.

Methven Community Board chairperson, Kelvin Holmes, said it’s a good result.

“It’s a lot of expense and let’s hope it does what it’s supposed to do.”

What it is supposed to do is solve the turbidity [cloudiness issues that have plagued the town’s water supply during heavy rainfall.

The new membrane treatment plant will use ultrafiltration technology, providing a barrier that removes 99.9% of micro-sized contaminant, McCann said.

The water will then be disinfected with UV light and chlorine, and fluoride added, before being stored in the new reservoirs and distributed via the town’s drinking water supply pipe network.

“We hope to be able to use the two reservoirs this week and we hope to be producing from the new treatment plant in the next week or so.

Commissioning of the new plant is expected to be completed this week with full operational testing and fine-tuning of the plant will starting on Monday, and it could then start servicing Methven by Wednesday, McCann said.

An official opening is planned for October 6 followed by a public open day on October 7, McCann said.

The old concrete reservoir tank structural integrity is being investigated but it doesn’t look like it will be worth retaining, McCann said.

“It’s not looking like we’ll be able to use that.

“The amount of money to fix it up is just not economically viable.”