Board Will Provide Sewerage In Belfast

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31769, 28 August 1968, Page 18

Board Will Provide Sewerage In Belfast

The Christchurch Drainage Board has decided to instal a domestic sewerage system in Belfast as soon as planning and finance can be completed.

A temporary plant is expected to be working in three years and permanent plant should be completed by 1976.

The board's plan is expected to bring the removal of building restrictions imposed by the Waimairi County Council. Under the restrictions some land owners may not be able to build for up to 15 years. The restrictions ban building in the area unless tests show sufficient soakage for sullage disposal without nuisance. The cost of a temporary plant to service domestic requirements at Belfast will be about §65,000. This will be of no use when the permanent plant is completed in 1976. The board made its decision last evening after members had heard a health inspectors’ report, which described the situation at Belfast as “serious and potentially explosive from a public health point of view.” HEALTH SURVEY The report had been refer-1 red to the Department of Health and forwarded to the board. It said inspectors of the Waimairi County Council made a survey of drainage in 424 Belfast properties in the built-up area. The inspectors found specific health nuisances in 267 properties. The inspectors found that in most cases the soil conditions were unsuitable for the disposal of effluent from septic

tanks or the discharge of sullage wastes for soakage. The information gained by the survey highlighted the need for sewers in the area, the department said. ADDITIONAL NEED

This need was quite additional to that previously expressed by the Pollution Advisory Council for disposing of waste matter from the industrial area, principally the two freezing works. The department asked the board to advise when the proposals for the sewering of Belfast would be ready and what degree of priority the board would expect to give to the installation of sewerage facilities in the Belfast area. The chief engineer (Mr P. J McWilliam) said the problems of Belfast drainage and pollution of the Waimakariri River had been before the board 36 times. While domestic and industrial wastes of the area would ultimately have to be treated at one plant, it would be necessary to deal with the domestic problems and pollution of the river separately. It would be possible to reticulate the urban area of Belfast to a pumping station and provide temporary treatment facilities before disposing of treated waste water in the Waimakariri River. SEPARATE PLANT

The heavy pollution from the two meat works could not be dealt with at a small temporary plant. He said the board’s consultants were now preparing a report on the heavy pollution from the meat works and a method of disposal. Major

works for this would be required and it was likely to be several years before they were completed. When they were built, domestic waste would also be treated by them. Mr McWilliam said that In view of the department’s report the board should consider reticulating the urban area for the disposal through a temporary treatment method of non-industrial waste. The pumping station needed could be designed either to fit in with future works or could be temporary

He estimated the scheme would cost about $369,000. of which about $314,000 would be needed for permanent reticulation. He said a loan application should be prepared and submitted to the Local Authority Loans Board as soon as satisfactory effluent disposal standards had been agreed on with the Pollution Advisory Council.