Water quality is a hot topic; whenever heavy rain falls in the region it reminds us again how fragile some of our systems are as overflows hit our beaches, making them unsuitable for swimming.
In some areas of the Okahu Bay catchment, stormwater and wastewater flow in separate networks, while in other areas they flow together in a combined system. It’s this system that can become overloaded causing overflow discharges.
The new Okahu Bay stormwater and wastewater separation project aims to address some of these overflows issues and increase the network's capacity by separating stormwater from wastewater in areas where the systems are combined, including on some private properties.
Councillor Desley Simpson comments, “The positive work Council is doing here to minimise these overflows will go a long way to improving the poor water quality Okahu Bay has experienced for decades. This along with the upgraded Safeswim programme will reassure the public that work is well underway to improving the water quality of Okahu Bay.”
Auckland Council's Healthy Waters Department is managing the project in collaboration with Watercare and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to ensure any disruption to local residents is minimised to achieve the best possible outcomes for the Bay.
Due to the project's large scale, the investigation and engineering design process will continue throughout 2018 with construction beginning in April 2019.
Auckland Council is investing $7.5 million in this project, although this may be later revised as the results of our comprehensive investigations are finalised.
