Water rights sought

Press, 1 February 1982, Page 13

Water rights sought

The North Canterbury Catchment Board will hear two applications for water rights from the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company. Ltd, probably at the beginning of March. The applications relate to discharge of effluent, indirectly and directly, into the Waimakariri River. The company now has an application before the board for the discharge of partly treated mixed meat wastes from the company works at Belfast to the south branch of the river. But it will have an additional right prepared by March, relating to the dis-

charge of chemically treated waste, because of the decision not to proceed with the Chaneys treatment station. The board’s water committee has agreed to the company’s request that the two should be heard together. The regional water engineer (Mr M. J. Bowden) said that the two applications should be heard together. The committee also agreed that the eight objectors to the current application should be given the details of the new one. C.F.M.’s division manager of technical services, Mr R. W. Davies, said in a letter to the commission that the cost

of the proposed Chaneys plant had risen to a position where it would/be uneconomic.

An alternative effluent treatment had been found, he said.

The Christchurch Drainage Board has given the new treatment approval in principle. The company proposes to build its own chemical plant using' a treatment specifically applicable to meat wastes.

The result would not be quite suitable for direct discharge, so -the company has asked the drainage board to build a pipeline to the river. The company would install a pumping station.