Work is nearing completion on a sizable underground storage tank in Ōhope that will see wastewater management improve dramatically.

The 20-metre-long concrete tank, part of a capital works programme at the Maraetōtara wastewater pump station, has a capacity of 50,000 litres and should be in use by the end of November. The pump station, one of two that serve Ōhope and Ōtarawairere, delivers wastewater to the Ōhope oxidation ponds. The new tank will provide eight hours of wastewater storage in the event of a power outage at the station.

Whakatāne District Council Public Affairs Officer Ross Boreham says the tank also plays an important and cost-effective role in reducing the risk of wastewater overflows during heavy rain events, when stormwater can infiltrate and overload the wastewater system.