A report to be received by the Whakatāne District Council on Thursday proposes a number of new water supply initiatives for Rangitāiki Plains communities, including fast-tracking the reticulation of water from the Paul Road bore to Te Teko consumers.

If adopted by the Council, the proposal would see the Paul Road borefield completed and water supplied to Edgecumbe and Te Teko in the first phase of development, subject to funding being secured.

The report by Council Planning, Regulatory and Corporate Services General Manager David Bewley traverses the development of the Plains scheme, the key issues affecting its operation, and short and medium-term priorities to upgrade the levels of service provided.

“A recent financial analysis of potential development and upgrading options for the Plains supply gives us a clearer picture of the priorities for both lifting the level of service provided and addressing some longstanding issues,” Mr Bewley says. “We’re now seeking Council agreement to proceed with the detailed planning and costings required to advance some key short-term projects.”

Proposed short-term developments include:

• Bringing the Paul Road borefield into production, to allow the currently consented volume of water to be extracted
• Supplying Paul Road water to Te Teko as part of the planned Edgecumbe supply project, subject to affordability and the support of funding partners
• Isolating the Edgecumbe and Te Teko reticulation system from the Braemar Springs and Johnson Road sources to remove naturally occurring arsenic from the municipal supply
• Introducing individual property water meters for Edgecumbe consumers
• Proceeding with a resource consent variation which would allow the volume of water extracted from the Paul Road borefield to increase from 5.2 million litres a day to approximately 10 million litres a day, to allow the supply to be extended to other Plains communities

“In essence, the recommended approach would see the Council focus on the core principles of meeting drinking water standards; providing a resilient supply which addresses the current issues around water pressure, availability and emergency requirements; managing the resource more efficiently; and providing for future growth opportunities,” Mr Bewley says.