The Star: January 12, 2017

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Thursday January 12 2017 9
News
Bid to prolong discharge into rivers
• By Bridget Rutherford
UNTREATED wastewater will
continue to be poured into the
city’s waterways during storms
and high rainfall.
THe city council is applying
to Environment Canterbury
for a new resource consent to
continue discharging untreated
wastewater into the waterways
and harbours in emergencies.
More than 700,000 cu m of
wastewater, including sewage,
had been discharged into the
waterways since 2012.
Following the September
2010 earthquake, ECan granted
the city council consent for
occasional overflows into
waterways so it did not flood
onto properties.
However, because of
earthquake damage, a nonenforcement
agreement was put
in place.
But that ceases in March, so
the city council either needed
to comply with its original
consent, or apply for a new
one.
City council three waters
and waste acting head John
Moore said it was unlikely
to be able to meet its consent
conditions, as it appeared the
frequency of overflows may
exceed what was allowed.
He said it would be possible
to stop wastewater
overflows with a new
pressure sewer network,
however, that would cost
$3 billion.
Wastewater includes
sewage and shower,
washing machine
and sink water. The
wastewater system
had built in overflow points,
which allowed wastewater to be
released during storms.
It overflows into the
Avon and Heathcote
rivers, the estuary,
Lyttelton, Diamond
Harbour, Governors
Bay and Akaroa.
Canterbury
University’s waterways
centre for freshwater
management Professor
Bryan Jenkins (left) said
EMERGENCIES:
The city council
will apply for a
new resource
consent to
discharge
untreated
wastewater
into waterways
during high
rainfall.
the national standard for
wastewater discharges was once
every two years.
However, in Christchurch it
was happening once every six
months, he said.
For the city’s rivers to be used
safely for recreation, there could
not be any sewage flowing into
them, he said.
“Until that’s dealt with, we
can’t have swimmable Avon and
Heathcote Rivers.”
Statistics favour
maternity unit
in east of city
• By Gabrielle Stuart
CAMPAIGNERS BATTLING for the
closed Burwood Birthing Unit to be
replaced have been buoyed by new
data, which they say backs their case.
The birthing unit was closed in
February after it was damaged in the
Valentine’s Day quake, and the Canterbury
District Health Board deemed
it uneconomic to repair.
But data from Statistics NZ shows
more than 15,000 families with children
living in the area. It also shows
birth rates in the east are predicted to
be some of the highest in the city in
the future.
Christchurch East MP Poto Williams
said the data painted a strong
case for a maternity unit in the east.
She planned to present the data to
Parliament after it resumes in February,
along with a petition.
The petition, which has been signed
by 4110 people, calls for the Government
to give Canterbury extra funding
to pay for the maternity unit.
She said the numbers had not been
considered when a decision was made
to close the unit.
They predict the birth rates in
most eastern suburbs next year will
be greater than two, with Aranui the
highest at 2.47. That compares with a
1.76 average expected birth rate across
Christchurch.
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