John MacDonald: This idea to fix Chch's stink problem stinks

Can you believe the Christchurch City Council is even entertaining the idea of pouring partially-treated wastewater into the sea to try and reduce the stench from the burnt-out wastewater treatment plant at Bromley?

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s shameful that the council has dropped the ball on this one in such a spectacular fashion. And don’t for a minute think that my empathy for the people living with that smell night and day is anything less than what it has been.

But this is a ridiculous idea cooked-up by mayor Phil Mauger.

As Christchurch East MP Reuben Davidson is saying, there’s a fair amount of hope but not a lot of evidence that this plan would work and not cause harm to the environment.

He’s right. The council is in panic mode and Phil Mauger is clutching at straws.

A bit of background. Last week, Environment Canterbury told the city council it hadn’t done enough to sort out the awful smell coming from the plant and said it had to come up with a plan within two weeks.

Hence, this idea of sending partially-treated wastewater out to sea to take the strain off the treatment plant. The council also wants to add chlorine to ensure bacteria levels are what it thinks will be safe before it reaches the ocean.

Since the big fire in November 2021, the ponds at the plant have been overloaded and aren’t in great shape. And, when we had all that rain the other week, things went next level and the smell was probably as bad as it’s ever been.

Phil Mauger is saying today: “We can’t sit back and expect conditions to improve on their own. Anyone who lives nearby knows the odour issues have become more intense, and we’ve been looking at all ways to help alleviate the stench.”

Yeah, but this isn’t how you should be doing it Phil.

E-Can says it’s surprised and concerned. My hope is that it will tell the city council to go back to the drawing board. 

Because why would we do something that could add to the water pollution problems we’ve already got?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Morning's podcast with John McDonald
from NEWSTALKSB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Can you believe the christ Church City Council is even
entertaining the idea of pouring partially treated wastewater into the sea,
why to try and reduce the stench from the burnt
out wastewater treatment plant? Can you believe it? Now? Don't
get me wrong, I think it is shameful, as I

(00:35):
always have, that the council has dropped the ball on
this one in such a spectacular fashion. And look done
for a minute, think that my empathy for the people
living with that smell night and day is anything less
than what it has been. But this is a ridiculous
idea cooked up by Mayor Phil Major. I'm no marine biologist,

(00:57):
but even I can see how ridiculous it would be
to pour wastewater into the ocean without it being fully
treated as CHRISTI g STMP Reuben Davidson, one of the
regular visitor to can every mornings is he saying today
is a fair amount of hope, but not a lot
of evidence that this plan would actually work and not

(01:19):
cause harm to the environment. And he's right, I mean
the Council's in panic mode, isn't it? And Film Major
is clutching its straws with this one little bit of background,
well recent background anyway, because we all know the long
drawn out story about the plant at Brombie itself, don't we.
But last week Environment Care to be told the city

(01:40):
council hadn't done enough to sort out the awful smell
coming from the plant and said it had to come
up with a plan within two weeks. Talk about waving
the big stick. So the city Council's in the firing line,
it is under the pump to do something. Hence this
idea of sending partially treated wastewater out to sea to

(02:02):
take the strain off the treatment plant now as well
as partially try eating it. The council also wants to
add chlorine. Why would it do that? Apparently to ensure
bacteria levels are what it thinks would be safe before
it reaches the ocean. Apparently the chlorine would make it cleaner.

(02:22):
But it sounds to me like just taking one problem
and turning it into two problems. And I will have
the problem with the smell on land and the potential
problem of contamination in the water. Now, since you see,
since the big fire in November twenty twenty one. The
ponds at the plant have been overloaded and so they're
not in great shape. And we've had when we had

(02:44):
all that rain the other week, things went next level
and the smell was probably as bad as it's ever been.
And then they had another community meeting and people were,
you know, pointing fingers at them. That's why Phil Major
is saying today, quote, we can't sit back and expect
conditions to improve on their own. Anyone who lives nearby
knows the odor issues have become more intense, and we've

(03:05):
been looking at all ways to help believe he ate
the stench end of quote. Yeah, but Phil, this is
not that you should be known it mate. Now e Can,
which is poking the big stick at the city Council,
says it's surprised and concerned about this idea that the
council's mulling over an idea. Phil Major says the council
has been in discussions with he Can about and with

(03:26):
local Ewie about, but e Can's operations director Brett Aldridge,
he told our newsroom earlier this morning it was all
news to him, all news to them. He says. Current
consents require the waste water to be treated before it
goes out to see and you can't say much more
than that until he's had a chance to hear more
about it from the council, which is going to happen
tomorrow apparently. Now. My hope is that he can will

(03:49):
tell Phil Major and the city Council to go back
to the drawing board, because why on earth would we
do something that could add to the water pollution problems
we've already got. But what do you think of this idea?
Will call me and tell me on O hundred eighty
ten it.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
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