Seaview Wastewater Treatment Plant
At the Seaview Treatment Plant, sewage travels through a series of screens, tanks, bioreactors, clarifiers and ultraviolet treatments before being discharged as liquid into Bluff Point, south of the Pencarrow Lighthouse.
The current consent ‘WGN120142 [33408] Discharge Treated Wastewater to Stream (Seaview WWTP)’ expired in 2018. Prior to the expiry of this consent, HCC applied to Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) for a new consent to temporarily discharge treated wastewater from the Seaview WWTP to the Waiwhetu Stream. While this process is underway, we continue to operate under the existing consent.
In general, the consents allow HCC to:
- discharge of treated and partially treated effluent through an existing outfall,
- to discharge mixed disinfected, treated and milli-screened wastewater during and/or immediately after heavy rainfall,
- to discharge mixed disinfected, treated and milli-screened wastewater during maintenance,
- the discharge of contaminants to the air,
- and permission to occupy the stream and coastal marine area with an outfall structure.
Biofilter Media Replacement
The treatment plant operator, Veolia, completed replacement of the plant's biofilter media in December 2023 ahead of schedule.
The biofilter media reduces the odour produced by the wastewater treatment process and is replaced periodically to remain effective.
Find out more information about this project
Investigation Reports
Seaview Wastewater Treatment Plant - Odour Investigation - June 2023
Making a complaint
If you have a complaint about Wellington Water directly, please call 04 912 4470 or email customer@wellingtonwater.co.nz to access our free complaints process.
After hours, please contact the Hutt City Council Call Centre on 04 570 6666 / 0800 488 824.
Greater Wellington Regional Council is the regulatory agency for reporting airborne discharges 0800 496 734.
Complaints to the Seaview Wastewater Treatment plant can be sent to the following contact details:
First point of contact: Veolia Duty Manager - Call 0800 928 371.
Veolia's Duty Manager contact number operates 24/7 as such complaints can be directly forwarded to them especially if the complaint is urgent and/or happened after office hours.
When a complaint is received, the following information will be recorded:
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Name
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Contact details of the customer
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Nature of the complaint
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Date and time
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Location
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Complaints shall be actioned within 24 hours upon receipt and the records being written to the plant's operational incident log. Odour and/or wastewater discharge complaints will be forwarded to the regional council.
Monthly reporting summary
December 2021
There were 2 consented bypass discharges for this month, both due to wet weather,
Algae growth continues to be a problem for the plant,
Biofilters are inspected monthly to avoid odour in the neighbourhood.
November 2021
No bypass discharge for the month,
Heavy metal levels in effluent are well below consent limits,
Faecal coliforms and Enterococci levels from shoreline monitoring are well below freshwater guidelines,
Algae growth in the clarifiers affected UV performance. A temporary system was put in place to continuously remove the algae from the clarifiers.
Resource consents
WGN050359 [24539] Discharge Treated Wastewater to Coastal Marine Area (Seaview WWTP)
WGN120142 [31740] Construction to Coastal Marine Area Maintenance (Seaview WWTP)
WGN120142 [33406] Discharge of Treated WW to Fresh Water Wet Weather (Seaview WWTP)
WGN120142 [33407] Discharge of Treated WW to Coastal Marine Area Maintenance (Seaview WWTP)
WGN120142 [33408] Discharge Treated Wastewater to Stream (Seaview WWTP)
WGN930193 [1] Contaminants Discharge to Air Outfall Structure (Seaview WWTP)
WGN930193 [2] Contaminants Discharge to Air Venting Structure (Seaview WWTP)
WGN950162 [1] Contaminants Discharge to Air WWTP (Seaview WWTP)
WGN930194 Land Occupation by Outfall Pipeline and Structures (Seaview WWTP)
Seaview 2021 2022 Compliance Report
Resource consent reports
Seaview Wastewater Treatment Plant Annual Resource Consents Report 2020/2021
Seaview Wastewater Treatment Plant and HCC/UHCC Trunk Main Annual Resource Consents Report 2019/2020
Seaview Wastewater Treatment Plant Annual Report 2021/2022
Seaview WWTP 2022/ 23 Annual Consents Report
Quarterly Reports:
Seaview Wastewater Treatment Plant January March 2023 Quarterly Resource Consents Report
Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand statement on the use of the treatment plant deodoriser
Summary
Potential health concerns associated with exposure to quaternary ammonium compounds are most likely associated with direct contact with undiluted product i.e. the staff preparing the solution. Staff exposure risk is managed by following the correct health and safety procedures. Quaternary ammonium compounds are often part of household cleaning and disinfection products and so exposure to the public is relatively common. Given the level of dilution of the product used in the cannon, and the distance between the placement of the cannon and potential locations for public exposure (typically this type of cannon dispersal method has an estimated droplet range of 50-100 metres) that effectively dilutes the strength further, we would not expect this to represent a health risk for the general public.
Te Whatu Ora - Health NZ
April 2023
Plant performance
Current Status: Non- compliant
Period: December 2023
Commentary:
The plant remains non-compliant for faecal coliforms (90-day, 80th percentile limit) since 30 September.
Infringement Notices issued:
The plant received 26 infringements in relation to odour. Thirteen for breaching RMA S15(1)(c) and thirteen for breaching Abatement A956. Veolia received similar infringements. Hutt City Council and Upper Hutt City Council each received thirteen infringements respectively for breach of Abatement A956.
Discharges:
The plant had one consented discharge to the Waiwhetu Stream on 18 December due to high flows during wet weather, discharging fully treated effluent.
Odour complaints:
The plant received a high number of odour complaints again in December as the biofilter project progressed and operators dealt with other mechanical issues at the plant. Odour control is expected to improve in January as the biofilter media becomes fully functional.
Items of significance:
Biofilter remedial works
The project team successfully replaced and commissioned all six biofilter media cells before the Christmas break - over a month ahead of schedule. There will be a short period of time for the media to ''bed in'' and the cells become fully functional but early results show substantial improvement.
Community Meeting
A community meeting with Hutt City Council and Wellington Water took place in December taking important feedback from local community members, whilst outlaying the short and medium-term plans, and funding, for long-term odour management at the plant.
Odour Treatment:
What has been completed:
The planned odour survey and odour control system assessment report has been completed with several recommendations made.
A project brief for the renewal of the odour control system of the site has also been completed, incorporating the recommended actions from the investigation reports.
The project is in response to the earlier Abatement Notice. The project has been assigned to Wellington Water’s Major Projects Team to manage.
What is currently in progress:
Replacement of Biofilter material is complete.
Replacement of air distribution structures of the biofilter is being planned as part of the main odour management project.
Leak repair of foul air ducting has been undertaken.
WWL’s Major Projects Team have assigned the project via the consultant panel. Project planning is underway.
The odour scouting programme within and around the plant began in December and is acquiring valuable data to assist with future odour treatment modelling.