Sewerage plant changes ready

Press, 23 February 1978, Page 6

Sewerage plant changes ready

The Christchurch sewerage-i treatment plant extensions, ai project costing more than I S4M to improve the system, and reduce smells, should be completed by the end of March.

Drainage Board members! learned yesterday that the second effluent filtering, tower was due to go on line this week. Some structural] modifications are needed on the first filter, which has been working for about a vear. and those will be done when the second one starts.

Large loans for the works were approved in 1974, and ithere have been several [delays in getting the entire project completed. two board members ex- | pressed doubt that a sea | outfall from the next large treatment project, the northern plant near Belfast, .would be effective in keepling pollution from northern i beaches.

I A pipeline outfall is one iof several alternatives being considered. Mr A. Cockburn said that he knew the kind of debris that usually washed up on the beaches,' especially during a north-1 west wind, at the best of] times.

Mr J. F. Davidson said that he would oppose a sea outfall from near Spencer Park under any circumstances.

The board will probably I face a choice between treated discharge alterna-[ [fives by July, when the! ’northern plant’s environmen-i ;tal impact report is com-* jpleted. An engineering consultant; to the board, Mr D. L. Ste-j ven, said there was one] school of thought at present in Britain that raw sewage I would be better for sea life than treated effluent if toxic] wastes could be kept out of it.