Marton Water Strategy Update

In fact, up at the Marton Water Treatment Plant we have a trial treatment plant that has been running for twelve weeks, which is being monitored for operating efficiencies and treatment capabilities. The next step will be to move it to Tutaenui Reservoir where the new bore has been drilled, so you may notice some mahi going on over the next few weeks in preparation for the move.

We’ll be gathering data and test results from the bores to ensure we have confidence around the trial plant’s effectiveness in treating the new water supply.

“Why can’t you just treat the water the same way that it’s treated now?”

Water from a bore is very different to the water that comes from rivers, lakes and reservoirs. It has a different mixture of minerals and suspended material than you would find in surface water which means the treatment used also needs to be different.

We have approximately eight to twelve weeks of testing of the trial plant at the reservoir to do, and once we’ve completed this and analysed the results, we'll be able to move forward with the upgrading works of the full-scale treatment plant.

This does mean that there will be a delay in the completion date of the project. Construction of the new treatment system will begin before the end of this year with a goal of completing it by mid-2025. The delay will not cost ratepayers extra, as the overall budget for the project is not impacted.

The trial plant is an extra process that we’ve decided to take to ensure that the treatment system has been fully tested for operating efficiencies, drinking water quality, discharge water quantity and quality, including gathering a good understanding around operating costs. Once the project is complete, Marton residents will be able to enjoy a much better water supply for years to come.