Board - Public Session - For Information
Watercare Services Limited
Subject:
Resource Management Act (RMA) Compliance for April 2018
Date:
22 May 2018
6.1
1.
COMPLIANCE PROCEEDINGS
There have been no compliance proceedings during the period.
2.
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL INCIDENTS OR OTHER NON-COMPLIANCE
MATTERS
There are no environmental incidents of any significance to report.
Watercare has been issued a ‘Letter of Direction’ from the Waikato Regional Council
pertaining to its partial compliance with existing resource consents for the Waikato WTP. This
letter relates to the Hydrofluorosilicic Acid (HFA) storage tank overflow event that occurred
during July 2017, where multiple systems failures resulted in HFA being discharged to the off-
specification pipeline and subsequently the Waikato River. A detailed Incident Cause Analysis
Method (ICAM) Investigation was completed immediately following this event and a number
of improvements/actions have been implemented to prevent similar events occurring in the
future. Further improvements will be implemented during the delivery of the Waikato WTP
Chemical Systems Upgrade.
There has been considerable media and public comment on wastewater overflows during and
following significant rain events. These overflows are designed to occur and are authorised by
the Network Discharge Consent, which requires a programme of upgrading of the network to
ensure over time that overflows occur no more frequently than twice per year per location or
Best Practicable Option (BPO) is applied.
Watercare has many projects underway and planned to meet this performance level.
Examples of work completed are the Kohimarama and Glen Eden Storage Tanks; the
separation of stormwater and wastewater systems at Franklin Road. Examples of work
planned are the Western Isthmus Strategy and the Central Interceptor.
3.
RESOURCE CONSENT COMPLIANCE SUMMARY
Table 1 shows the number of active consents, number of non-compliant consents and the
number of non-compliant conditions by Auckland Council compliance rating (1 - 4), compared
to the previous months.
Category 1 and 2 relates to a technical non-compliance with a no more than minor potential
or actual adverse effect to the environment and are reported only to management to action.
Category 3 and 4 relates to a non-compliance where the result will have or has the potential
to have an adverse or significant adverse effect on the environment, or where there has been
a repeat of a lower score non-compliance.
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Board - Public Session - For Information
Table 1: Compliance Status of Active Consents*
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
Number of total active consents
505
503
503
499
491
485
Number of non-compliant consents
16
21
22
8
11
10
Number of non-compliant category
6.1
4
5
4
3
2
2
3 or 4 conditions
Number of non-compliant category
12
8
8
8
12
10
1 or 2 conditions
*
Note: Excludes unimplemented consents.
Table 2 presents the consents that have conditions that are non-compliant with a self-
assessed Council compliance rating of 3 or 4.
Table 2: Consents with self-assessed Category 3 and 4 Non-Compliant Conditions in
Month
Current
Self-
Facility or
Background & Reason for
Assessed
Explanation
Action & Target
Project
Non-Compliance
Council
Compliance
Rating
Wastewater Treatment
Owhanake
Exceeded Phosphorus and
WWTP
Due to exhausted slag beds
Plant to be upgraded
3
suspended solids limits
(Waiheke)
Review the maintenance
programme of the plant.
Kingseat
Exceeded 92%-ile of
High test results in April 18 due to
The plant is to be
WWTP
3
suspended solids
a blocked line
decommissioned when
(Franklin)
South West WWTP project
is completed.
Each of the two consents above are category 3 because of a repeat of lower score non-
compliance. There have been no adverse effects on the environment.
4.
RECOMMENDATION
That this report be received.
Report prepared by:
Recommended by:
Approved for submission by:
...................................................
..................................................
……………………………..
J Gaglione
M Bourne
R Jaduram
Resource Consents Planner
Chief Operations Officer
Chief Executive
(Acting)
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