Consent for the Porirua Treatment Plant to discharge sewage into the sea

Michelle from Titahi Bay

Submissions close on the 30th June. The Resource Consent is supposed to protect our environment instead - this application is:
A license to pollute.
Proposes a higher flow with higher contamination allowance.
Poorly written and lacks specific accountability to measure, record, report and mitigate.
Mis-leading when major upgrades to treat increasing flows to the plant continue to be deferred.

If you would like to make a submission online: here is the link:
haveyoursay.gw.govt.nz...

Please send your online submission to Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) Notifications@gw.govt.nz (on form) and also email a copy to: Richard.peterson@stantec.com who is acting agent for Wellington Water, on behalf of Porirua City Council (permit holder/applicant).

We will still get extreme rain (more events with global warming), the system will overflow in Porirua and the network remediation will take years. There will be leaks, the faecal count will still fluctuate to high on the beach, and the signs will still say "not safe to swim'. There will be Council and Wellington Water excuses, and the fines for discharges will be paid by ratepayers.

Reasons for decline of consent based on Application WGN200229: Discharge to Coastal Marine Area:
1. OLD PLANT: Porirua Treatment plant has a lengthy history of non-compliance for poor quality discharge, often noticeable, with a visible slick or plume that floats into Titahi Bay.

2. POOR DATA: Upgrades to improve quality of discharge and accommodate population growth in the catchment continue to be deferred, and population forecast significantly under-estimated, approx. 140,000 in 2043 not approx. 121,000.

3. POOR REPORTS. Jacob Engineer’s and eCoast Marine Consulting and Research independent reviews say application and proposed conditions in some areas are ambiguous and lacks sufficient data and policies to validate some statements and assumptions.

4. NO REAL MONITORING: There are no GPS locations given for any sampling and monitoring sites.

5. POOR ANALYSIS: Using annualised calculations, dilutes the data.

6. POOR CONTROL: Continuously monitoring flow to the plant when flow meters are often broken is not accurate monitoring.

7. MORE POO: Porirua has 4 times less the flow of Moa point Plant and wants 5 times more contamination.

8. POOR DATA RECORDING: The ambiguity of wording makes it possible that Porirua treatment plant will begin sampling 24 hours after the discharge. That is two tidal flows and a diluted reading.

9. POOR PROCESS: The proposed Ecological, Monitoring and Technical reviews do not recognise the Resource Management Act requirement for cultural assessment.

10. THEY CAN CHANGE IT ANYHOW: Section 128 allows the Council and Wellington Water to amend or delete any condition possibly 12 months of start of permit and then every 5 years thereafter.

So please have your say!