Water September / October 2024

Conference keynotes and preview

Exploring ancient water infrastructure

Remains of historic Lake Mangamahoe dam removed Pukekauri farm’s marathon effort to improve water quality

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President: Lorraine Kendrick

Board Members: Bruce Balaei, Troy Brockbank, Fraser Clark, Tim Gibson, David Hogg, Lorraine Kendrick, Priyan Perera, Shelley Wharton

Chief Executive: Gillian Blythe

Internal Events and Logistics Co-ordinator:

Katrina Guy

Corporate and Membership Services Manager: Mumtaz Parker

Membership Administrator/Office Manager: Pip Donnelly

Technical Lead – Regulatory and Catchments: Nicci Wood

Technical Lead – Projects and Sustainability: Lesley Smith

Technical lead – Drinking Water Quality and Education: Belinda Cridge

Communications Manager: Debra Harrington

Education, Website and Design Co-ordinator: Ranya Adolf

Association Secretary and Executive Administrator: Caroline Lewin

Accounts Administrator: Zoe Hubbard

OUR SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

Backflow

Climate Change

Drinking Water Quality

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Smart Water Infrastructure

Modelling

Onsite Waste Water Management

Stormwater Water Service Managers’ Group Water Efficiency and Conservation Action Network (WeCan)

Water Utilities Association

Wastewater

Young Water Professionals: Chapters in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

For information contact: Katrina Guy 04 495 0891, email: Katrina.guy@waternz.org.nz

WATER JOURNAL

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DISCLAIMER: Water New Zealand reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising material submitted for publication. The opinions expressed in contributions to Water are not necessarily those of Water New Zealand. The information contained in this publication is given in good faith and has been derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, neither Water New Zealand, nor any person(s) involved in the preparation of this publication accept any form of liability whatsoever for its content including advertisements, editorials, opinions, advice or information. This extends to any consequences from its use. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or ink–jet printing without prior written permission of the publishers.

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INSIDE

4 President’s comment

6 Results of membership review

7 Celebrating Maori Language Week

10 SWIG: Strong foundations for reliable data

12 Source water risk management planning

14 Report from the American Blackflow Prevention Conference

16 Regulatory approach to drinking water confirmed

FEATURES

24 Profile: Alistair Allan

26 Profile: Amanda Kirk

28 Profile: Edward Oxales

30 A view from space

36 Australia: New bill asks customers about investment in water

38 NZ drinking water safe from ‘forever’ chemicals

40 Scientists hit 98 percent efficiency removing nanoplastics from water

44 Unprecedented ocean change may impact NZ fisheries

46 Tagging Fiordland sharks to monitor climate change

49 Kina: Battle of the barrens

54 Maps reveal Lake Rotorua’s hidden depths

56 Redoubt Road reservoir night works project

58 Resurrecting the 1863 Bungtown siphon

60 Scientists find oceans of water on Mars

64 Challenging upgrade increases water supply capacity

71 A look into Istanbul’s water past

76 Remains of historic dam removed to protect stream

82 Marathon effort to improve water quality

96 Puketutu Island: Coming full circle

110 Major work on Yorkshire Dale’s Coast to Coast trail

116 Wetland science’s role in the Normandy landings

CASE STUDIES, PAPERS AND COMMENT PIECES

32 The role of volumetric charging

42 Ambitious plans needed to stabilise ocean microplastic contamination

86 The need for agriculture to adapt for future shortages

89 Can our water infrastructure cope with urban sprawl?

94 Development of the National Stormwater Modelling guide

103 The value of modelling combined sewer overflow impact

108 Tackling antibiotic-resistant genes in wastewater treatment plants

114 Legal comment

120 Making surveying safer

‘Ka ora te wai, ka ora te whenua, ka ora nga tangata’

‘If the water is healthy, the land is healthy, the people are healthy’

The official journal of Water New Zealand – New Zealand’s only water environment periodical. Established in 1958, Water New Zealand is a non-profit organisation.

We're all working to continue to improve the water sector

Lorraine Kendrick President, Water New Zealand

After an eventful two years as Water New Zealand president, my time in this very rewarding role will officially draw to a close at the AGM this September. I will be passing the baton to board member Tim Gibson, though I stay on another year as immediate past-president.

Serving as your president during this time has been a privilege, especially given the many challenges and opportunities we’ve faced along the way. The past two years have been a roller-coaster and, as we know, the journey is far from over.

As I write this, we’re finalising our preparations for the Water New Zealand Conference and Expo 2024 at Claudelands. Our conferences are always a pivotal event on the three waters calendar and particularly so this year, with a big focus on how we can do Local Water Done Well.

Our full day preconference symposium, Enabling Local Water to be Done Well, looks set to be extremely informative and valuable. The calibre of speakers and presenters at both the symposium and throughout the conference underscore the critical importance of how we as a sector, and our councils, respond to the reforms.

The new government’s Local Water Done Well policies ensure that drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater services remain in local council ownership and control. But this requires councils to step up investment in the maintenance and replacement of vital water infrastructure to meet quality standards.

Many councils will find it extremely challenging to meet environmental and drinking water quality regulations, coupled with new economic regulation.

But we need to remember that the proposed new economic regulatory environment is aimed at ensuring that consumers are paying the true cost of water services, that the delivery of services meet quality standards, and that water services providers are making adequate investments in their infrastructure.

Taumata Arowai is about to consult on the introduction of wastewater standards, which are intended to simplify the reconsenting of wastewater discharges. This will be a critical step towards getting a national, consistent, efficient and affordable approach to treatment of wastewater.

The lack of standardisation has been a bugbear for the sector

for a long time so this is an important opportunity to get national consistency. I urge all our members and the wider sector to get involved in the consultation process to ensure quality design of the standards.

It’s timely that one of our new special interest groups (SIGs) is focused on wastewater. Our new Wastewater Group will help drive industry best practice for wastewater quality management and resource consent compliance.

Another new, and as yet unnamed SIG, has grown out of the continuing need to acknowledge the importance of building relationships with mana whenua and growing understanding of te ao Māori.

We want to ensure an inclusive environment where diverse voices and perspectives are welcomed. It’s with that in mind that we established our new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion special interest group.

We want the water sector to be seen as a diverse community to attract people to the workforce. We also need to grow our understanding and support of the diverse communities we serve.

Collaborating beyond our council borders and ensuring we attract the right people to the sector will be crucial for securing a successful and sustainable future for our water infrastructure.

We know that many of our challenges, from infrastructure affordability and network leakages through to water scarcity, extreme weather and climate change are global issues. So, as well as collaborating across the country, we need to ensure we’re also collaborating and learning from our international colleagues and their experiences.

Our CEO Gillian Blythe has recently returned from the IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition in Toronto where she met water sector leaders from around the world. This was an important prelude to us hosting the IWA Aspire Conference in conjunction with the Water New Zealand Conference and Expo 2025 in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland next October.

But in the meantime, I’m looking forward to our highlight event of this year – the Water New Zealand Conference and Expo at Claudelands. I hope to see you there.

Ngā mihi nui

Lorraine Kendrick President

Claudelands, Kirikiriroa Hamilton

Join us and be inspired

The Water New Zealand Conference and Expo 2024 showcases the dynamic and fastmoving environment we’re working in.

New ways of thinking and sharing knowledge are key to our conference and in joining us you can find out the latest developments on innovation, sustainability, climate change adaption, te ao Māori and much more.

Take part in workshops, panel discussions and join the conversations on key water reforms including Local Water Done Well. The many technical, keynote and thought leadership presentations and 220 expo stands ensure two-and-a-half days of inspiration whatever your interest in water.

Our conference brings the business community together with plenty of opportunities for networking, making new contacts and reconnecting with familiar faces.

We look forward to seeing you there.

We thank our sponsors and partners for their huge support.

REGULATORY PARTNER

GALA DINNER SPONSOR

PREMIER PARTNERS

Canada meet to discuss water regulation

Water New Zealand chief executive Gillian Blythe joined a panel discussion on regulation at the IWA (International Water Association) Conference in Toronto in August.

The IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2024 brought together utility and industry practitioners, government officials, NGO representatives, technology and service providers as well as consultants from across the world.

Gillian spoke about the relationship between the regulators and regulated utilities and stressed the need for utilities to understand why regulators exist and the benefits they provide.

She told the international audience that the regulatory environment needs to ensure a balance across quality and economic regulation, including levels of service and investment horizons.

It’s important, she says, that utilities work together, co-fund research and lift sector capability and water literacy.

Gillian is pictured here with fellow panellist Filipe Sampaio, a director of the National Water and Sanitation Agency (ANA) in Brazil, and MC Robert Bos, who’s co-chair of the Programme Committee for IWA Aspire.

Makaurau Auckland next October.

Te rerenga wai, te rerenga korero –

Flowing conversations

By Troy Brockbank, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi and Water New Zealand board member.

For the seventh year running, Water New Zealand is marking Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (14-21 Mahuru) by celebrating the relationship between wai (water) and tangata (people).

Water holds a revered place in te ao Māori (the Māori world). It is not just a physical substance but embodies mauri (life force). In our modern era, re-establishing a connection with our waters, both physically and spiritually, is increasingly important.

You can deepen your understanding of water through six reflective questions that explore our relationship with wai.

Nō wai koe? – Which waters do you originate from?

This question encourages us to consider our origins. Just as every drop of water has a source, each person is rooted in specific waters – rivers, lakes, or springs – that nourished our ancestors. Identifying these origins helps us appreciate the interconnectedness of the waters that sustain us.

Nā wai koe? – Whose waters are you descended from?

Our whakapapa (genealogy) is intricately linked to water. This question prompts us to reflect on the lineage and ancestors who have shaped our identity. Much like rivers flowing from their sources to the sea, our genealogy connects us to past generations who honoured and protected these waters.

He wai koe? – What type of water are you?

Water takes many forms – rivers, rain, lakes, oceans – each with its unique qualities. This question invites us to ponder the characteristics that define us. Are we tranquil like a still lake or dynamic like a flowing river?

Understanding our nature helps us align our actions with the waters that mirror our essence.

Ko wai koe? – Who are you (which waters define you)?

At its core, this question asks us to define ourselves through the waters that shape us. It’s a reminder that our identity is deeply intertwined with the natural world. By understanding who we are, we better comprehend our place and purpose within the grand scheme of life.

Mā wai koe? – Whose waters will descend from you?

This question broadens our focus, urging us to think beyond the individual. Just as water sustains all life, we must consider who we serve and protect. Our responsibility extends to caring for others, human, animal, and plant, and the waters that support them.

Mō wai koe? – Which waters will you provide benefit to?

The final question looks to the future, challenging us to think about how our actions will benefit coming generations. How can we ensure that our waters remain clean and vibrant? We must act as kaitiaki (guardians), preserving the health and vitality of our waters for those who follow.

As you ponder these questions, let them guide your thoughts and actions throughout Te Wiki o te Reo Māori and beyond. Engage in meaningful conversations with wai, listen to its needs, and advocate for its well-being. By doing so, we honour our origins, fulfil our purpose, and protect the waters that sustain all life.

Ko ahau te wai, ko te wai ahau. I am the water, and the water is me.

IWA Aspire will be joining with the Water New Zealand Conference and Expo 2025 in Tāmaki

TE RERENGA WAI, TE RERENGA KŌRERO

Flowing conversations

Our actions impact the taiao (environment) and wai (water). When we are mindful, they thrive; when neglected, they suffer. Although wai communicates with us, we often don’t respond. It’s important to engage in thoughtful dialogue to understand and protect this taonga. What conversations do you have with the waters and people around you?

Nō wai koe?

Which waters do you originate from?

He wai koe?

What type of water are you?

Mā wai koe?

Whose waters will descend from you?

Nā wai koe?

Whose waters are you descended from?

Ko wai koe?

Who are you (which waters define you)?

Mō wai koe?

Which waters will you provide benefit to?

Scan to explore Te Rerenga Wai, te Rerenga Kōrero further

How do you learn?

By Water New Zealand training manager, Belinda Cridge

Different people learn in different ways. Kinesthetic learners prefer a hands-on approach, while auditory learners learn easiest by listening to instruction. Often, children have been labelled stupid or dumb because school wasn’t much fun or didn’t work to their strengths. However, research tells a different story.

The fact that there are so many ongoing debates about education is because different people learn in different ways.

At the core of learning is a process of information encoding. The brain is a fascinating mix of cells that are interlinked and talk to each other constantly – neurons with their connecting axons. They run us – telling us to breathe, our heart to beat, to sleep, to wake, to ring our mum.

Information we remember is encoded by strengthening the connections between different neurons; the more we use or recall a piece of information the stronger the links and the easier the information is to recall. This leads to the development of rote learning teaching styles.

Rote learning is really good for some stuff. Things like memorising the periodic table or learning scriptures.

Rote learning was very popular during the 12th century when the Catholic Church ran most schools. This period was also the birth of the apprenticeship, the idea that someone would learn by repeating a task until they ‘mastered’ it.

These learning programmes are transmission methods – based on the idea that the instructor sends a message (information) which is received by the learner. The teacher speaks and the student listens.

Obviously there is an assumption that all the information is correctly heard and immediately remembered, but anyone who has had any experience with children can comment on how well they respond to clear instructions using the transmission method: “Get your shoes on now” doesn’t actually transmit all that well in our household!

There is also more to learning than just the nuts and bolts of neuron connection strengthening.

Rote learning doesn’t usually work well for complex or creative ideas. During the Renaissance in Europe in the 15th to 17th centuries, the experts of the day called for an overhaul of learning. The ideas of experience and discovery were re-introduced into education.

This has been an important part of learning theory since then, especially championed by experts such as Maria Montessori or reflected in the more modern ‘learning through play’ concept.

Proponents of experiential learning suggest that experience is a powerful teacher – think putting your hand on a hot plate. All the rote learning in the world won’t teach you not to touch a hot element as effectively as touching one!

But the experts kept arguing, about ages and stages and experiences over time, which led us to the idea of scaffolding. This combines rote learning (repetition) with experiential and developmental ages to give us an idea of a spiral, where learners revisit a concept multiple times and build up their knowledge as they continually revisit a theory over successive weeks or years.

The school curriculum utilises scaffolding extensively; progressing from one year to the next, learners revisit core concepts and theoretically continue to build their knowledge.

From here education providers started to think of themselves less as ‘oracles’ (but not all of them) and more of ‘navigators’ structuring programmes that lead people through exercises and information in a carefully structured learning pathway.

Now we tend to think of learning as a social, context dependent, individual endeavour, where a gifted teacher can help guide learners to discover and encode new knowledge.

We are hard-wired to learn, even when we don’t want to – things like song lyrics regardless of whether you actually like the song.

But ‘education’ hasn’t always helped us learn. I liken learning to developing paths in a forest. We each forge paths through dense foliage to find information. Our routes differ, so we navigate from idea to idea quite differently, and the routes we use the most are the easiest to follow. But, we’re always finding new areas to explore and new ideas to add to our map.

So, how do we use all this knowledge of how we learn to inform the training pillar at Water New Zealand? Understanding that people learn in different ways, in addition to our digital badges, we support other learning providers who offer programmes using other learning approaches and teaching styles.

Within our badges, for example, we don’t just use text – we also use videos, illustrations, and quizzes to help students explore and build knowledge. We provide scaffolding through our more advanced courses, and we are developing new formats for online learning, e.g. discussion-based courses with online support.

We offer instructor-led courses, like the Cultural Significance and Importance of Wai, that allow people to learn in a group. And we offer mentoring, which is an opportunity to learn from peers rather than an ‘expert’.

Through variety we hope to help everyone find the learning path that is right for them.

Getting good value for money

Seventy-nine percent of members who responded to the recent Water New Zealand membership survey said they considered membership to be good value for money.

The survey found that members were motivated to join us to take part in our events, conferences, and webinars, as well as to stay up to date with sector news and to help build professional networks. Access to information through webinars and web meetings, technical advice and guides, publications, electronic newsletters, and the website were also major drawcards for membership.

Water New Zealand chief executive Gillian Blythe says the membership surveys provide

an important opportunity for feedback and to help the association know where it needs to put its efforts and resources.

“Supporting the water community, and in particular our members, are front and centre in what we do.

“It’s heartening to note that nine out of 10 respondents rated our publications, electronic newsletters, and the website as being good to excellent. Webinars and web meetings also rated highly, while professional development and peer recognition scored lower.

Key areas that members wanted to see us focus on in the coming year were around policy and regulation, wastewater, water

quality and treatment, and drinking water.

Gillian says that while more than half of respondents didn’t feel there were any missing services or benefits, the survey found that some would like to see more training and courses that include practical and more advanced technical components, more opportunities for networking, and more access to international best practice.

“Knowing where we can up our game is also helpful feedback and we’ll certainly be taking this on board as we do our planning for the next year and beyond.”

More than 450 members responded to the survey which ran in June.

Podcast: Tackling network leakage with technology

The economics and the social licence of what is an acceptable water leakage rate from networks has changed dramatically. What was once regarded as an economically acceptable level of leakage is no longer accepted by customers or wider society.

With the UK facing a predicted water shortfall of almost 5000 megalitres a day by 2050, this dire scenario in the wake of climate change has ripped up the rule book on what has been regarded as a sustainable economic level of leakage and there is a big push to dramatically reduce this.

In our latest Tāwara o te Wai podcast,

Jon Reed and Dan Johnson from Water New Zealand discuss how technology and innovation will play an increasingly vital role in reducing leakage from water networks.

They were joined by Jeremy Heath, innovation manager of SES Water, based in Surrey on the outskirts of London, and Emma Milburn, who is acting GM of research, innovation and commercialisation at South East Water in Melbourne.

Melbourne’s population is expected to double by 2070. Emma says that using digital technology to save water has been a big focus, with plans to continue deploying more than a million smart

digital meters over the next four to five years. Already, the meters have notched up some wins, not only for the utility but also for customers. She says notifying customers with timely information about leaks on their property has saved them almost $6 million on their water bills.

New water sensing technology, as well as AI and robots, will play an increasingly big part in a sustainable water future and whether we could we ever reach a point of zero leakage.

To find out more, listen to the podcast discussion by going to the Water New Zealand website or find it on Spotify.

Walk for Water so they don’t have to

If you’ve been following the Water New Zealand LinkedIn pages recently you may have noticed that we’re supporting WaterAid Australia’s Walk for Water challenge. This is an annual event, and this year we’re raising funds so that women and children in Timor, Papua New Guinea, and Cambodia don’t have to walk for hours each day to collect water.

Some 703 million people in the world – almost one in 10 – do not have clean water close to home. So, every day, women and children walk long distances to collect and carry water for their families.

Girls and boys often begin collecting water as children and girls continue to collect and carry water throughout their lives. Many girls spend hours each day collecting water, which can leave them with less time to go to school.

So, we’re asking you to walk for water, so that they don’t have to. All you need to do is walk, run or ride for five days during 30th September to 4th October and ask for support from your colleagues, family, and friends.

Walk for Water is a great way to engage with fellow employees and your networks. Come together as a team to raise awareness and funds for people around the world to access clean water for the first time.

We’d love you to join our team by going to our fundraising page fundraise.wateraid.org.au/fundraisers/waternz2024 but you can also make up your own team or do it as an individual. You an find out more on the WaterAid Australia’s website fundraise.wateraid.org.au/event/ walkforwater-2024

Strong foundations for reliable data

By Andy Gaul and Michael Howden

The Smart Water Infrastructure Group (SWIG) was founded to bring together a community under the Water New Zealand umbrella to discuss and promote cutting-edge technologies deserving of the ‘smart’ label.

From smart water meters managing non-revenue water to level sensors in sewer manholes connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) to monitor inflow and infiltration, to highly digitised, regularly updated, and comparable asset information, and finally to full 3D digital twin models visualising pump stations and treatment plants through virtual reality. This is the bright, shiny future we see in the stepping stones of Water New Zealand’s “Towards 2050: Transformation Vision for the Water Sector”.

But then reality struck with the longanticipated establishment of Taumata Arowai and the requirements for data collection and sharing. While one of the insights was to “prioritise resourcing the collection of necessary information”, too much data didn’t arrive at the right place and/or had errors.

The SWIG was following the developments closely, and it really came home for us at the 2023 Water New Zealand Conference workshop on digital maturity, which revealed a digital divide across the water sector, with a disparity of skills, bandwidth, appetite, and budgets between councils, contractors, consultants, digital natives, (some) senior leadership, and IT and water teams.

Technology enables but cannot drive digital transformation.

The state is dire, with no central government-funded hero coming to save us, and there was no common foundation for us to start from.

The SWIG regrouped and envisaged a digital transformation of the sector, for the sector, and by the sector. We have a dream where one day every council knows where their pipes are, and in what condition they really are. Where water suppliers, regulators, and laboratories will be able to join hands and assure communities that their water is safe.

A sector united, not under a single balance sheet, but under common data standards. We

Drinking Water Sampling Data Guidelines

choose to do these things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

The SWIG set its initial and lofty ambitions for shiny smart water technologies aside for the time being and focused on getting the foundations right.

At the start of 2024, the group came together to explore what SWIG could contribute to the data and technology sector, identifying four themes around which working groups formed:

• Water Quality: Drinking water needs to be safe. Reliable, trusted, and reproducible data is needed to make sure it truly is safe. Data is shared between multiple stakeholders, and it is key that collected data doesn’t get lost in translation.

• Water Quantity: The only thing worse than water with low quality is no water at all. How much water do I have available? How much do I lose? Reliable data and associated forecasts on quantity have big impacts on assured supply and community development.

• Asset Management: Knowing what assets (drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater) you have and their real condition is an essential starting point to

operate and develop them efficiently and sustainably.

• Foundations: All the cross-cutting issues, from data quality to cybersecurity to digital literacy.

The Water Quality working group, including industry experts from laboratories, Taumata Arowai, software providers Lutra, and Water Outlook, among others, identified the importance of water sample and SCADA data as a key priority for reporting on the Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules (DWQAR), and ultimately ensuring the supply of safe drinking water to the public.

This working group has spent this year creating the “Drinking Water Sampling Data Guidelines”. We have met for 90 minutes every third Friday to plan the document, discuss the structure, review edits, and share a few smiles.

Working together as a dedicated and passionate group has kept it fun and we’ve held each other accountable for making progress.

These guidelines will help anyone involved in drinking water sampling by describing the roles and responsibilities of the other players and what data needs to be collected and

shared so we can trust our water is safe to drink.

They describe the roles and responsibilities for the water supplier, sampler, laboratory, and regulator (Taumata Arowai). They also include a data dictionary, recommending minimum requirements for the data that needs to be collected and shared. For some, this will be common knowledge; for others, it will provide fresh insights.

The guidelines highlight the complexities of sample taking and the consequences of errors, such as exceedances from unhygienic samples, missed sample delivery, or exceedance in the temperature of the sample due to traffic delays.

They touch on data interpretation, explaining differences between units such as Colony Forming Units (CFU) and Most Probable Number (MPN) for E. Coli, and how to understand nitrate levels correctly where 11.3 mg/L Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3-N) equals 50 mg/L Nitrate (NO3).

The guidelines provide a high-level overview for sampling programme

development, correct sample storage, and delivery techniques to ensure samples are delivered within the right temperature range and with a reduced risk of contamination.

They showcase a small water supplier’s requirements of sampling at the source, the treatment facility, and in the distribution system based on the DWQAR.

Getting these basics right is critical. Mistakes can lead to embarrassing publicity; but more importantly, accurate data is essential for making the right decisions about our water supplies, building trust with the public, and supporting the quest to ensure safe drinking water for the people of Aotearoa.

These Drinking Water Sampling Data Guidelines have been published in September and explored further with a panel discussion with industry experts in a Water New Zealand webinar on September 18, 2024.

What’s next?

The Asset Data working group has been working on a roadmap to improve the state of

asset data, starting with salvaging the Asset Data Standards that were developed by the National Transition Unit. This will become more important as councils need to develop their Water Service Delivery Plans.

The Water Quantity working group is developing a framework to evaluate which water meter technologies are most appropriate in different contexts.

The Foundations working group is developing a glossary of smart water terms, so we can be sure that we’re speaking the same language.

Meanwhile, the Water Quality group will take a breather and start working on Guidelines for SCADA data.

If you are interested in contributing to the SWIG, join us at our Water New Zealand Conference workshop: “From Blockers to Building Blocks: Defining a Path to Intelligent Water Management”, where we will engage with the wider sector to understand what blockers the SWIG might be able to tackle in 2025, and hopefully rope in a few more folks to help with the mahi.

Source Water Risk Management Planning and the need for guidance

By Matt Dodson, Helen Rutter, Judy Wiliamson and Louise Weaver

A Water New Zealand special interest group has been exploring whether we need more specific guidance around preparing Source Water Risk Management Plans (SWRMPs).

The Drinking Water Quality group was formed late last year to advance drinking water quality practice and outcome through collaboration. The group brings together a range of expertise from water, environmental and process engineering, compliance and monitoring (including former drinking water assessors), microbiology, laboratory science, data, and hydrogeology.

As part of this, the group undertook a survey to gain input from the community; see box story below.

Source water monitoring and management

The preparation and implementation of a Source Water Risk Management Plan (SWRMP) by a water supplier is a requirement of the Water Services Act (2021). The SWRMP is part of the overall Drinking Water Safety Plan that must be prepared for each supply.

Drinking Water Safety planning is a risk management process that aims to ensure a

safe supply of drinking water to consumers. It focuses on identifying, assessing, and managing the risks across the whole drinking water supply system – from where the water is sourced to the point of supply to consumers.

A SWRMP must identify hazards and

risks, current and emerging, relating to the source water and describe how they are managed or can be eliminated. This relies on knowing what area contributes to the source, that is, understanding the source water risk management area (SWRMA) and then identifying risky activities within that area.

While Water Safety Plans have been required to be developed by water suppliers for many years and source risks were required to be considered, the new legislation places significant emphasis on source water and its management through the requirement to specifically prepare SWRMPs.

Previously there were also no requirements to monitor source water quality. Through the new Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules (2022), source water monitoring is also now required. This monitoring gives water suppliers useful information to be able to potentially match varying catchment activities with changes in source water quality. We note, however, that for many water suppliers, their ability to influence the quality of their source water is limited.

Key points from the survey

1. There were a range of views (from small to large suppliers) and a range of source waters, from roof to surface water to groundwater sources.

2. The impact of land use on source water: Drinking water sources are vulnerable to contamination from a variety of sources originating from activities associated with industry, agriculture, urbanisation, transport, and recreation, and activities can be current or historical. Changing land use and persistent contaminants were a recurrent theme. One comment discussed the “lack of policies to safeguard strategic water resources”.

3. The lack of guidance and inconsistency in approaches to develop source water risk management areas and risk assessment plans.

4. The regulatory gap regarding source protection and its impact on suppliers. The NES for sources of drinking water (released back in 2007) did not become embedded uniformly in regional policies throughout the country. The revised NES has been stalled and there is a degree of regional councils and water suppliers ‘waiting’ to see how it will all land. This disconnection between regulators and suppliers appeared to be a constant issue and point of frustration for suppliers.

5. The issues for small suppliers were also very

apparent (and unlikely to find a resolution with the current policy direction), including issues around understanding some of the issues (hazards to source water, guidance in terms of risk assessment, emerging contaminants, and the needs for and establishing further monitoring. The issues for small suppliers are likely to be underreported, as many will not have responded to the survey.

6. There is a clear gap in knowledge around effectively engaging with Māori, particularly for groundwater supplies. It is also apparent that guidance is needed on applying Te Mana o te Wai.

Intake on Banks Peninsula.

Essentially control of the quality of their drinking water supply starts at the intake point by managing their treatment steps appropriately when the source quality changes.

To date, Taumata Arowai has provided only very high-level guidance on how to prepare SWRMPs.

Monitoring of source water and a wider understanding of the source and what happens to it with changing circumstances provides information to water suppliers to allow them to adopt a proactive stance in managing their supply.

Lack of quality data

We have found that development of SWRMPs is complicated, often hindered by a lack of data, and requiring a multidisciplinary team due to the complex nature of source protection and risk assessment. From discussion with practitioners working in the field, we believe there is demand for more specific guidance for Aotearoa New Zealand

that leverages off the extensive work undertaken in other countries.

The Water Services Act also requires that local authorities, including regional councils, district council, city councils and unitary authorities, must contribute to the development and implementation of source risk management plans prepared by drinking water suppliers. This implies there is an expectation of a collaboration between the water supplier and relevant regional or territorial authorities to manage water sources that are used for drinking water.

But in defining the protection zones around source intakes, we note that in many instances there is a clear gap between water supplier’s source risk management plans and regulations set by regional councils.

In most cases, the supplier’s source water risk management areas (SWRMA) are yet to be developed by regional councils, associated risks are not embedded into regional plans, nor are

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National guidance on this has stalled along with the Drinking Water NES and it seems that regional councils are struggling with these issues.

Some water suppliers (where they have resources) have developed their own SWRMAs, though these may then be challenged by regional councils.

Sourcing information and data from different councils can be time consuming and expensive, and the development of SWRMAs can be complex and technical, and this may not be an option for smaller water suppliers.

Next steps

The Drinking Water Quality group will present a summary of the survey findings at the Water New Zealand conference in Hamilton, Wednesday, 25 September, at 2-3:30pm. We would love to see a great attendance there to gather more feedback and discuss next steps.

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Connecting Continents: Attending the American Backflow Prevention Conference

By Richard Aitken, Telford Consulting

As a major player in the global drinking water backflow prevention industry, the USA is home to the world’s largest backflow prevention organisation, the American Backflow Prevention Association (ABPA).

Dedicated to training, education, and technical assistance, the ABPA supports a network of regions and chapters with national backing to address local needs and interests.

Each year, alongside regional and chapter conferences, the ABPA hosts an international conference and tradeshow. This event provides a platform to share education, training, best practices, new technology, and stories of both triumph and disaster, while celebrating accomplishments.

In late 2023, I had the honour of being invited to speak at the next international conference, scheduled for April 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. This invitation provided a golden opportunity to enhance the relationship between the backflow prevention communities in America and Aotearoa New Zealand, and to celebrate the achievements of our backflow industry, its dedicated professionals, and industry organisations.

It was also a great honour to be invited to contribute to the global development of backflow prevention best practices, while bringing a Kiwi perspective to the table.

The conference began with a keynote by Jacqueline Jarrell, who shared the Charlotte Story. This narrative, like many others, includes a pivotal moment that shifted perspectives and sparked changes in the operational outcomes related to drinking water protection.

The Charlotte Airport backflow incident, a well-documented case of fire retardant contaminating the public drinking water supply through a cross-connection, served as the catalyst for an ordinance mandating the installation of backflow prevention devices on all industrial, commercial, and irrigation water connections.

Residents around the airport were unable to

use the water from their taps for several weeks and the city provided drinking water in the form of bottled water and tankers during that time, while teams worked to isolate, flush, and test the affected part of the system.

The conference programme featured a diverse array of technical presentations, industry journeys, and a trade exhibition showcasing cutting-edge backflow prevention products.

Among the numerous technical presentations were in-depth discussions on testing and cross-connection surveying, including topics such as containment versus isolation, regulatory comparisons across multiple states, surveying a military installation, and software presentations on water supply and backflow management systems.

I presented The Evolution of Backflow Prevention in New Zealand, tracing the journey from the arrival of plumbing, through the establishment of the original Backflow Institute in 1991 and its integration with NZWWA, to the current water reforms and legislative changes. The presentation showcased the gradual improvements made and illustrated progress while acknowledging the journey towards excellence remains ongoing.

It was a compelling narrative of recurring lessons unlearnt, the dominance of commercial interests over statutory compliance, and the challenges of achieving consistency across the property boundary and nationwide. It also celebrated the significant contributions of key proponents of backflow prevention in Aotearoa New Zealand and the relationships they built early on with America and Australia.

The presentation was very well received, and it was evident that many were surprised by how long it took us to adopt backflow prevention measures, and that the initiative was driven by commercial interests rather than water safety concerns.

There was also astonishment at the lack of enforcement and shock that fire hydrants are underground fittings, which pose a

significant contamination risk. Interest in my presentation led to interviews with a local Charlotte newspaper and a North Carolinian construction journal.

Throughout the conference, the presentations were of high interest and quality, and it quickly became clear that while the American system of legislation and compliance is quite different to ours, there are definite similarities in many of the issues and challenges we both face in keeping drinking water safe.

I returned home with several key thoughts from the three-day event.

We have the foundations to do backflow prevention well

We have legislation that covers isolation (internal) to protect the drinking water and the people using it within a building or – the Building Act and Building Code, and we have legislation that covers containment (boundary) to protect the drinking water supply network –the Building Code, Water Services Act and the Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules.

What is needed next is a well-thought-

The conference began with a keynote by Jacqueline Jarrell, who shared the Charlotte Story.

out approach that utilises both isolation and containment to provide the highest level of safe drinking water for all drinking water users.

A good cross connection control programme is essential

Houston, Texas, has been doing just this, including revamping their cross connection control team recruitment programme and embracing online management programmes and portable/mobile technology for use both in the field and in the office.

Their recruitment programme emphasises the importance of recognising and utilising individual backgrounds and cultural needs, and actively recruits with a focus on diversity to better serve the community. Their team is supported by flexible work schedules, comprehensive training, strong managerial support, and prioritisation of career growth with opportunities for new qualifications and progression.

There was also a shift from requiring an engineering degree to requiring a chemical or science degree for specialist survey/compliance

staff and to calling them ‘environmental investigators’.

Smart software solutions are vital for efficiency

Survey management is of particular interest to me, and it was heartening to see what can be achieved with the right approach, good tools and a willingness to invest upfront for future benefits.

My initial observation at the tradeshow, and through the presentations, was the abundance of off-the-shelf water management software systems. However, these systems are designed for large-scale water distribution networks, which are not typical in smaller countries like Aotearoa New Zealand or even Australia.

In speaking extensively with the software providers present, I found many different approaches offering comprehensive solutions for water management and cross connection programme managers. These solutions include data capture, data analysis, and trend reporting and analytics, and extend to the invoicing of drinking water safety violations.

The use of mobile platforms to gather field

data in real-time is crucial to these systems. Specific tablets and programs enable the quick capture of survey results, including text fields and photos, by specially trained surveyors.

The captured data is uploaded to the main system and stored alongside other asset management data, from where it is used for a multitude of tasks, including generation of invoices and work orders, management of the water system, identification of risks, and creation of workload management plans for survey field staff deployment.

It was a privilege to be invited to share our journey and to be recognised for our country’s commitment to backflow prevention. I would like to extend my thanks to the APBA organising committee, and their executive committee for their warm welcome and for inviting me to join the directors’ meeting.

Special thanks to Erica Hobbs for her hard work in co-authoring the presentation, articles, and reports, and for providing tech support from another time zone. I also appreciate Water New Zealand for providing funding to assist with expenses.

Taumata Arowai confirms its regulatory approach to drinking water

Head of operations, Steve Taylor, says the water services authority, Taumata Arowai, is focused on regulating the water sector in a way that is transparent, proportionate and informed by the latest evidence and risk assessments.

“The goal is to provide certainty to the sector about our priorities and approach for the next few years. These include proactively engaging with suppliers on practical pathways to compliance, continuing to build a comprehensive view of water services through public reporting, and developing Aotearoa New Zealand’s first set of national wastewater discharge standards.”

The Taumata Arowai regulatory approach is focused on getting the basic protections in place. The aim is to make it easy for the majority of suppliers to comply, to engage with suppliers who are trying and need support and, where necessary, to direct those suppliers that are not complying.

“We want to work with the sector to encourage compliance and risk management, ensuring communities have safe, reliable drinking water.

“Most public water suppliers have got the basics in place, and we are actively engaging with small to medium suppliers within the sector and helping them find the right solutions, for instance, by providing technical guidance and support where we can.”

Taumata Arowai has a number of key considerations to ensure the context that suppliers operate in, and the things that matter most, are top of mind when it makes regulatory decisions.

“Overall, Taumata Arowai takes a proportionate approach, including sufficient

cost benefit considerations to compliance with suppliers, considering aspects like the risk to public health, the size of the supplier and the population served.”

When it comes to evaluating a supplier’s actions, Taumata Arowai looks at the supplier’s compliance history and behaviour as part of its process to ensure its approach to compliance decisions are fair and appropriately encourage suppliers to meet their responsibilities.

“We make sure our decisions are proportionate, consistent and fair, consider the broader impact of our decisions on the water system, and support public confidence in our regulatory system,” Steve says.

“We understand that one size does not fit all, and that it is important to understand the individual circumstances and risks associated with each supply.”

Taumata Arowai has a range of tools and

approaches to support or require drinking water suppliers to ensure communities have safe and sufficient drinking water. They include actively engaging with suppliers, setting expectations, monitoring compliance, monitoring, and reporting on performance, issuing directions and compliance orders, developing strategic communications and partnerships, and intervening in an incident or emergency.

During the 2023 cryptosporidiosis outbreak in Queenstown, Taumata Arowai worked with Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) to manage the response to the outbreak.

“We provided specialist technical support to QLDC. In this instance, a compliance order was issued to ensure that serious risks to public health were addressed with urgency given the live outbreak.”

The order meant QLDC needed to keep a boil water notice in place until it had installed treatment for protozoa or was otherwise able to provide safe drinking water to consumers.

Taumata Arowai continued to engage with QLDC as it installed a permanent protozoa barrier solution for the Queenstown supply.

“A key priority for our team is clearly communicating compliance expectations, understanding how suppliers are managing risks, and providing assurance to the public that their supplier is doing the right things to provide safe and sufficient drinking water.”

Taumata Arowai staff also engage with suppliers when there are indications of concern, such as lab notifications of a Maximum Acceptable Value (MAV) exceedance.

In August 2024, Te Papaioea (Palmerston North) regional team made contact with

Sampling requirements for routine metal testing by suppliers

The Tokomaru experience highlights the importance of using flushed samples of water for network metal testing.

The Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules (DWQAR) published and enforced by Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai require all water samples that need laboratory analysis to be collected according to instructions and specifications provided by the laboratory (Rule G8 of DWQAR).

Laboratories require pre-flushing when testing water quality in a water supply network. Flushing involves letting the tap run for several minutes before taking a sample.

Taumata Arowai also hosts the old Ministry of Health guidelines on its website. These say that if you are trying to determine if excess chemicals are associated with the network or the tap, take an unflushed sample and a paired flushed sample. This is sound guidance when investigating where

contamination is coming from.

The unflushed sample is taken to see if water is reacting with plumbing fittings (Ministry of Health guidelines, Chapter 10: Chemical compliance, p 498 – see specifically p542-545). This testing procedure is not suitable when testing for contamination in the water supply itself.

Further information on plumbosolvency is available on the Taumata Arowai website.

Head of operations, Steve Taylor

Horowhenua District Council when lab results indicated unacceptable levels of lead could be in the Tokomaru drinking water supply.

Tokomaru is a small settlement south of Palmerston North, with about 500 residents. The council had been installing new treatment processes and had responsibly initiated extra testing to assess the effect of this treatment on levels of lead and copper in the network.

Taumata Arowai treated the notification as an incident and quickly engaged with the council to seek assurance that the risks were being actively managed, and the community understood that they were investigating a sample taken from the Tokomaru Water Supply, which showed elevated levels of lead.

“Our team was immediately available to help the council identify the source of the lead contamination.”

The council took a precautionary approach and issued a Do Not Drink Water Notice while undertaking extensive testing to identify the issue.

The Civil Defence Incident Management Team was initiated and the council provided a water tanker at the Tokomaru Community

Hall, as well as bottled water to residents, including the local primary school and early childhood centre.

The council pushed out consumer information via its Facebook page and regular media releases, frequently updated its website as the incident unfolded, and carried out welfare checks of every household.

“Our technical, regulatory and communications teams worked with Horowhenua District Council to ensure useful, practical messaging was provided to the Tokomaru community and that appropriate sampling approaches were being adopted.

“We also had input into the council’s updates to local and national media about what measures to take to comply with the do not drink notice.”

After several days, results from multiple samples the council took from the source, treated water reservoir and across the network showed that elevated levels of lead and noncompliance were the result of plumbosolvency caused by water reacting with brass tapware used for sampling.

Consecutive results received from this

Blue Horizons, Green Solutions

enhanced testing regime showed that there was no lead contamination in the source water or the reticulated water supply. The do not drink notice was then lifted.

“Our regional team leader, Peter Wood, also attended a town hall meeting convened for the Tokomaru community alongside the council and Health New Zealand representatives.”

Steve says this is a good example of the commitment of Taumata Arowai to ensure risks are being managed and suppliers are working to ensure the safety of the drinking water they supply.

“Having open and honest conversations meant we could support the council as it managed its supply to ensure the community had access to safe and sufficient drinking water”, says Steve. “The council team was great to work with. We worked well together to ensure they had the right testing regime in place and their community was kept well informed.”

Steve invites councils to get in touch with Taumata Arowai if there are particular challenges with their supplies they want to discuss.

Article provided by Taumata Arowai

Claudelands, Kirikiriroa Hamilton

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND PANELLISTS:

OPENING GUEST SPEAKER

Simeon Brown – Minister of Local Government

Simeon Brown is the Minister for Energy, Minister of Local Government, Minister of Transport, Minister for Auckland and Deputy Leader of the House. He is the MP for Pakuranga.

Prior to entering politics, Simeon completed law and commerce degrees at the University of Auckland and worked in commercial finance at the Bank of New Zealand, as well as serving as an elected local board member at Auckland Council.

Bill Bayfield

Bill Bayfield was until February 2023 the establishment and first go live chief executive of Taumata Arowai. He has experience in both central and local government and an in-depth knowledge of drinking, waste and stormwaters and environmental regulation. He recently served over a decade as chief executive of Environment Canterbury and previously as chief executive of Bay of Plenty Regional Council. He was also group general manager at the Ministry for the Environment, with responsibilities for climate change and waste policies and previously held senior management roles in the Taranaki Regional Council.

GUEST SPEAKER

Donna Flavell – Guest speaker

Donna is the chief executive of Te Whakakitenga o Waikato Inc (WaikatoTainui). Her impressive background has seen her work on many iwi initiatives in the freshwater space. She managed Waikato’s negotiation of the Waikato River Settlement and, following the settlement, was the General Manager of the Waikato Raupatu River Trust.

Currently, she is also the Chair of the Iwi Advisors Group for Freshwater and a director of Te Wai Maaori Trust.

Bill is a director of Wellington Water Limited, Citycare limited and Apex Water Limited.

Tim Cadogan

Tim is in his third term as mayor of Central Otago, following careers as a barrister and in broadcasting and copywriting.

Tim sat on the Ministerial Working Group on Representation, Governance and Accountability during the previous water services reform.

Jehan Casinader

Jehan is a journalist, keynote speaker and mental health advocate.

He was named “Broadcast Reporter of the Year” at the Voyager Media Awards in 2020, and “Reporter of the Year” at the New Zealand Television Awards in 2018.

Jehan is a respected voice in the areas of wellbeing, leadership and diversity, and shares regular insights with his large audience on LinkedIn. He has a degree in public policy from Victoria University of Wellington.

Dave Chambers

Dave is a highly experienced business leader with a background in large-scale customercentric organisations. He was managing director of Progressive Enterprises NZ Limited and has held various other leadership roles.

Previously he was a board member of Woolworths Supermarkets in Australia; Paper Plus New Zealand Limited; Turners and Growers Fresh Limited; and the New Zealand Business and In February 2023, he was appointed interim chief executive of Watercare, then in April, confirmed as chief executive under a fixed-term contract through to June 2025.

Antoine Coffin

Antoine Coffin (Raukawa, Ngāti Apakura, Ngai Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāpuhi) is a specialist in resource management, cultural heritage planning, community engagement and facilitation. He is an RMA commissioner, freshwater commissioner, and most recently manager of spatial planning, Bay of Plenty Regional Council. A former member of the Māori Council of Heritage New Zealand and co-chair of the Indigenous section of the International Association for Impact Assessment, he has been a key advisor to the Department of Internal Affairs, Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Ministry for the Environment, Department of Corrections, Melbourne Museum, and a number of local councils on key strategic and multi-disciplinary projects and decisionmaking processes.

Anna Jackson

Anna is chief executive of Unitywater, and is focused on delivering the sustainable water services that enable more than 800,000 residents across the Noosa, Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay areas to be part of a healthy and thriving community. The region also plays host to more than 11 million tourist visitors every year.

She is active in the Australian water sector’s leadership through the Water Services Association of Australia and the Australian Water Partnership Advisory Committee.

Allan Prangnell

Allan was appointed chief executive of Taumata Arowai in January 2023, reflecting his wealth of strategic leadership experience in central and local government. He was formerly deputy chief executive of Te Manatū Waka | Ministry of Transport where he provided leadership and advice on the performance of the transport system.

Prior to Te Manatū Waka, Allan was executive director Three Waters at the Department of Internal Affairs where he led and delivered the establishment of Taumata Arowai as a crown entity with a new regulatory regime. Key to this work was engagement with iwi across the motu on understanding and giving effect to iwi/hapū/Māori interests in water services and regulation.

Dan Hikuroa

Dan (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato-Tainui, Ngaati Whanaunga, Pākehā) is a father, surfer and gardener, Associate Professor in Māori Studies, University of Auckland, UNESCO New Zealand Commissioner for Culture and world expert on weaving indigenous knowledge and science to realise the dreams of the communities he works with.

Vinojini Nair

Vino is a seasoned management and strategic consultant with more than 15 years of experience spanning Bain, KPMG Australia, and now with GHD Digital. Specialising in driving organisational success across diverse sectors including healthcare, AI/ML, ESG, and Circular Economy, Vino excels in strategy, operations, and insights management. A finalist for national-level Digital Transformation Leader of the Year 2023, Vino is adept at leading cross-functional teams and navigating complex challenges, offering expertise in AI, machine learning, process automation, and strategic planning.

John Small

John is the board chair of the Commerce Commission. He is the founding director of economic consultancy firm, Covec, and was also the former head of the University of Auckland’s Economics Department. He has an extensive experience undertaking complex competition analysis in a wide range of sectors, including energy, transport, agriculture, telecommunications, payment systems, and construction.

Alex Walker

Alex Walker has been mayor of Central Hawke’s Bay since 2016, when elections delivered a strong mandate for change and a new energy for the future.

The council has developed a programme of upgrades and improvements to ensure that the drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure is able to meet the future needs of the community. This transformational focus has seen CHBDC earning the first AA Council Mark Rating for a small rural council in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Premier Partners

Our man in water

David James Ogilvie (20 July 1939 – 16 May 2024)

A man passionate about drinking water quality, David Ogilvie made a considerable impact during his 60-plus years of serving the industry, from government policy, to the formation of Water New Zealand, to editing this very journal. Andrew Watson and Paul Prendergast look back over his many accomplishments during his career.

The early years

David left Hutt Valley High School in 1956 with University Entrance and, not knowing what he wanted to do, joined ICI in the accounts department and later Dyestuffs Laboratory, covering five years all together.

His abiding memory of accounts was making up the weekly pay packets in cash and then being required to watch the employees when they opened their pay to make sure they didn’t hide any coins so to claim they had been underpaid!

Keen to improve his education, David went to Victoria University to study for a BSc in chemistry. This was all done part time with evening lectures, making for very long days.

In 1963, David took up the position of chemist at Palmerston North City Council. Recognising the need to improve his microbiological knowledge, he did part of a bacteriological diploma at Massey and then designed PNCC’s microbiological laboratory.

Work on different bores formed his thinking regarding ‘secure’ and ‘non-secure’ bores later used in the Drinking-water Standards (DWSNZ).

An interesting part of his duties included assisting council’s health inspectors in testing hotel beer tap nozzles, which showed high bacterial contamination. Glasses were refilled in those days, and hepatitis common.

In 1964, the council sent David to his first New Zealand Water Supply and Disposal Association (NZWSDA) conference at Victoria University. This began a 60-year membership of what is now Water New Zealand.

When the council opened its new Lido swimming pool in 1966, problems in its operation required David to carry out a water quality operation review, resulting in him developing a chlorine formula based on sunshine hours, holidays/weekends, and wind strength.

In 1968 PNCC commissioned its new sewage treatment plant which increased the importance of the microbiological laboratory and its workload.

Mangere Drainage and Auckland Regional Authority

In 1969/70, David successfully applied for the position of works chemist at the Manukau Sewage Purification Works of the Auckland Regional Authority (ARA). Working on solving midge problems at the oxidation ponds was a significant public issue at the time.

In 1971 David became the chief chemist in the ARA Water Department, shifting to the Titirangi laboratory. Here he was

overseeing the sampling of Auckland’s bulk water supply. Variations in fluoride concentration, and inconsistent water quality from the West Auckland Treatment plant dating from 1920s, were major issues.

It was a year of change at the ARA in 1972, featuring two significant former members of Water New Zealand: Ron Hicks retired and was replaced by Dr Michael Taylor.

By the early 1980s, a new water source from the Waikato River was forecast to be needed for Auckland. A major project was setting up a pilot WTP at Mercer to test the suitability of the water source. Managing the pilot plant trials was one of David’s career highlights.

The pilot WTP proved very successful and the Waikato water source very stable and straight forward to treat, despite many public comments against it and forecasting dire consequences of its use.

David was interviewed by a Pacific TV news team (later called TV2). “They wanted me to say that if anyone fell into the river,

they would need to have their stomach pumped out. I wouldn’t say that, so the interviewer did, or words to that effect, during the editing. I lost faith in the accuracy of TV news thereafter!”

Quality assurance and final years at ARA

In 1983 Telarc (which became IANZ) approached David to act as an assessor of water labs seeking accreditation. Over the next 17 years he assessed 44 water laboratories, from Whangarei to Tiwai Point.

From 1985 he was responsible for the compliance monitoring of the ARA landfills in use at Pikes Point, Greenmount, and Rosedale Road, and any ground waters or surface waters the landfills could potentially contaminate. David presented evidence for water rights at hearings for all three landfills.

David returned to Mangere as acting head scientist (drainage) from late 1986 to early 1991. This was a time of significant change and reorganisation at the ARA. It was a time of great distress for David resulting in him being made redundant, or in his view, dismissed. This culminated in him accepting an out-of-court settlement in 1992, moving on to do private consulting work.

Ministry of Health

From 1993, David did a number of consulting projects for the Ministry of Health. The most important of these included the production of the 1995 DWSNZ (replacing the 1984 edition) as a member of the Expert Committee, editing the 1995 Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality Management for New Zealand, preparation of standards for treatment chemicals, revising the Grading of water supplies, then producing the updated DWSNZ (2000).

David retired in 2001 when he and his wife Barbara decided to return to Wellington.

In 2003 David joined MoH part time, with the task of developing the next DWSNZ and developing a strategy for upgrading all aspects of drinking-water quality and management throughout the country.

Keen to improve his education, David went to Victoria University to study for a BSc in chemistry. This was all done part time with evening lectures, making for very long days. In 1963, David took up the position of chemist at Palmerston North City Council. Recognising the need to improve his microbiological knowledge, he did part of a bacteriological diploma at Massey and then designed PNCC’s microbiological laboratory.

For over 20 years until he re-retired, he maintained and updated the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality Management. These Guidelines are an 800-plus page document with detailed guidance for water suppliers, including some 500 pages of data sheets for all the approximately 150 chemical and microbiological ‘determinands’ (a word he and Dr Michael Taylor invented) contained in the Standards. They give essential information about their health effects, how their numerical standard has been derived and what treatment is available to control them. It is an essential reference document for all involved in managing a safe drinking-water supply.

David was very disillusioned when post-2008 Government policies resulted in reduced drinking-water staff, cancellation of drinking-water projects, and a virtual freeze on updating the DWSNZ, as well as the interpretation of the new drinking-water legislation in the Health Act ‘that a council only had to say it couldn’t afford it’ to avoid complying with the Standards.

Much work was lost, leadership on drinking-water diminished, and then in 2016 the Havelock North water supply Campylobacter outbreak occurred, the sort of event that he had long feared.

David never sought the limelight and often supplied much of the background information for papers and briefings for others. For example, the Ministry had to prepare evidence describing how the Standards were prepared generally, and specifically with regard to fluoride, and the difference between the Standards value and the recommended level of fluoride in water for oral health purposes. This evidence was for a case on whether fluoride was a medicine. Another colleague prepared the evidence in an affidavit, but David had done a large part of the background work.

The evidence went through three levels of the courts and was extensively quoted by the Supreme Court, but was never challenged by any party.

David finally retired from the Ministry in August 2019, after a working life of over 60 years.

Professional bodies

Although he was a member of five other professional bodies, David’s main energies were put into what we now know as Water New Zealand. From his first conference in 1964, David had a 60-year connection. The highlights are:

• PNCC representative 1964-69, member from 1973, committee member 1973, and president 1983-86. Committee/board member for 27 years until 2000.

• 1985: Approved and encouraged first trade display at annual conference, now a major part of the conference providing a significant proportion of Water New Zealand’s income.

• One of the earlier members of the WEF’s ‘Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers’, where he was known as pH7.

• 1988: Awarded the US-based Water Pollution Control Federation Bedell Award “for extraordinary personal service in the water pollution control field, as related particularly to the problems and activities of the New Zealand Water Supply and Disposal Assn.”

• 1989: Became an Honorary Life Member.

• NZ Water journal: David started with Issue 18 in December 1981, producing five issues a year; his last was Issue 102 in September 1998; a total of 85 issues over 18 years. Originally all this work was voluntary and unpaid. Later he received a $100 per annum honorarium, gradually increasing to $5000 per issue, which he calculated to be equivalent to an hourly rate of less than $10 per hour.

Outside of work

David’s love of nature, tramping with the Tararua Tramping Club, photographing native flora, and his environmental work were all well known by the Ministry of Health team.

A colleague of his relates when he came into the office in the morning he would ask David what he had been up to and would be told about his latest tramps and setting predator traps. When those colleagues last visited David in hospital on the 11th of May they were preceded by the person he was briefing to take over responsibility for his predator traps.

Tui and kaka are now common in the Wellington urban area and David more than played his part in their return. Whenever kaka or tui are seen flying over we should think of David and his contribution.

Above all he was a wonderful colleague, friend and a true gentleman. The many years of work he put into the water association was truly remarkable, and helped lay the foundations of the organisation that it is today.

His contribution to safe drinking-water is enormous and enduring, thanks to his commitment to getting the science right and his hard work.

David is survived by his wife of 58 years, Barbara and their children Andrew, Robert, Brigid, and Meredith, and eight grandchildren.

David’s love of nature, tramping with the Tararua Tramping Club, photographing native flora, and his environmental work were all well known by the Ministry of Health team.

Environmental Sustainability Project Award sponsored by Morphum Environmental Ltd

Downer NZ – TNOC Fish Passage

Hastings District Council – Waiaroha – The future of water

Te Kura Taka Pini – Wai Hā Exchange

Health and Safety Innovation Award sponsored by Site Safe

BECA – PIPE – i Robot

Fonterra Te Rapa and Drone Technologies – Drone collection of water samples from the Waikato River

Project Award sponsored by Pipeline and Civil

GHD and Waipā District Council – Cambridge Wastewater

Treatment Plant Consenting

Hastings District Council – Replumbing Hastings

Waikirikiri Selwyn District Council – Wai Renewals

Watercare Services Ltd – Te Kauwhata WWTP MABR Upgrade

Operations Award sponsored by IXOM

Daniel Wright – Mataura Water Treatment Upgrade (Gore District Council)

Hamilton City Council – Waiora WTP Low Chlorine Event

Water Trainee of the Year Award sponsored by Citycare Water

Harley Corfield – Fulton Hogan

Jessica (Jess) Turner – Citycare Water

Kemble Slotemaker – Downer

Young Water Professional of the Year Award sponsored by Beca

Gabriela Campos Balzat – Taumata Arowai (Watercare from July)

Kristi Whyte – Vitruvius Limited

Lucy Ferris – Jacobs

The Water New Zealand Excellence Awards – recognising excellence and achievement across the water sector.

Winners will be announced at the Downer Gala dinner, Thursday 26 September, during the Water New Zealand Conference & Expo, Claudelands, Kirikiriroa Hamilton.

Go our website waternzconference.org.nz to find out more

THANKS TO OUR AWARD SPONSORS

BROUGHT TO YOU BY GALA DINNER SPONSOR

Stormwater star

Having spent the past 16 years specialising in community-led solutions for watercourses, WSP’s Alistair Allan has been recognised for his stellar work by being named as the Stormwater Professional of the Year for 2024. By Mary Searle Bell

Growing up on army bases in Southern England, Alistair’s daily walk to and from school would take him alongside a stream – an irresistible temptation for a young boy.

“It became my playground. I was often late home to concerned parents because I had been playing in the stream; busy building weirs and dams,” he says. “I returned there before moving to New Zealand and was saddened to see it’s now all fenced off. That stream had an influence on who I became and was a playground full of learning opportunity.”

“My father was a little disappointed – he thought I was wasting myself a little, but he knew I’d make things work. I was there for six years and learned a lot about making a small business work. It was a good learning experience even if it didn’t directly help my engineering career trajectory.

the stream, along with the formation of The Friends of the Waiwhetu Stream, has been a huge environmental success.

“It was one of the biggest development learnings in my career. I built a lot of political and community relationships within council and the Ministry for the Environment. I worked alongside the Friends of Waiwhetu Stream community group, and spent a lot of time walking the stream and learning from kaumātua Te Rira ‘Teri’ Puketapu.”

Alistair says, as a child, he was always interested in how things worked, and was always building tree houses and dens, and digging tunnels.

“At school, this turned into a natural affinity for geography, I really enjoyed the subject. However, around the age of 15 or 16 I moved focus away from it as there wasn’t a good understanding of how geography could lead into a career. Instead, I was encouraged to focus more on maths and physics, but I did make that conditional on also being able to take geography through to A-level.

“I was the first in my family that went to university and I started studying electrical engineering. In my second year, however, I switched to environmental engineering; water particularly appealed and my passion for geography and natural resources reappeared.”

Unfortunately, when Alistair graduated, he didn’t find the opportunity he wanted in environmental engineering so had a brief stint working in structures but that didn’t last long. After six months he quit and took up landscaping and arboriculture.

“It certainly had its advantages. It was easy to mentally unwind at the end of the working day when your job was done; and the type of work helped develop my selfconfidence and self-belief through hands on work with contractors and directly managing high risk health and safety activities. The professional environment has a different kind of stress, and thoughts about work often weigh on your mind after hours.

While Alistair was travelling on a working holiday visa in New Zealand in 2008, a role came up at the Wellington Regional Council looking at rivers and stream flood risk management. So, in his late 20s, he stepped back into engineering.

“I effectively joined the council as a mature graduate, but I had more to offer as I was commercially savvy and had additional life experience.

“The people I met at Greater Wellington had a big influence on me, my manager Graeme Campbell in particular – he saw what I had to offer, constantly putting new challenges in front of me and encouraged me to step up, and my team leader, Daya Atapattu, developed my technical robustness.”

One project that has remained a career highlight for Alistair is his work on the Waiwhetu Stream, which in 2007 was described as the country’s most polluted stream. The council’s work in restoring

In 2013, Alistair transitioned to look after management plans for rivers and streams. “More planning, securing funding, and setting up for future project delivery”.

“I particularly remember working on the flood management plan for Pinehaven Stream, which had suffered from recent flooding, and had opportunity to address environmental and ecological issues.”

Next up was work as project lead on a review of river management schemes in Wairarapa to address flooding and erosion in the Masterton and Carterton districts.

“It involved bringing together multiple values. I tried to design a process that would seamlessly slot into the Natural Resources Plan – I think it went reasonably well. It certainly positioned the council well for when the government announced its shovel ready programme as the ground work had all been planned and ready to go for multiple projects.”

Alistair then moved onto the River Link project in Hutt City. As project director, his technical leadership came to the fore, as he brought together the many players in this project, including three funding entities.

“We brought together Ngāti Toa Rangitira, Taranaki Whānui, the NZ Transport Agency, Hutt City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council to collaborate on joint outcome delivery.

Community engagement and building strong relationships with all involved were key.”

In 2020, at the start of the first Covid lockdown, Alistair left GWRC and moved to WSP into the role of group manager, with a team of around 18, “some of who I’d never met”.

“Working remotely was a very odd situation – I remember my new company laptop arriving in the post. It was an uncertain time worldwide and I considered not making the move, but I backed myself and the career change as I wanted to take on new challenges in the water space.”

In 2022-23, Alistair was entity stormwater lead for the National Transition Unit, working on the water reform.

“It was an interesting piece of work, and I am quite proud of it. It’s a bit of a shame it all changed quite abruptly. I look forward to the great work done by the team making its way back through the Local Water Done Well programme.

“A lot of my role was around the risks

stormwater flooding and erosion posed to other water services and how those would be managed. My inputs into this piece of work were a big reason I agreed to be put forward for the Stormwater Professional of the Year award.”

Winning the award, however, was completely unexpected.

“I was surprised to even be selected as a finalist, and when I saw the other finalists, I was even more surprised to win!”

But this accolade is the result of years of dedication to the sector. And there is no disguising Alistair’s passion for water.

“Urban watercourses have become a passion of mine. People don’t always have the opportunity to visit big rivers, but urban watercourses are something we can see and interact with every day. They’re a touchpoint between people and nature for those of us living in cities.

“They’re also prone to a lot of problems, from pollution to flooding. And of course, I would like to see a lot more urban waterways daylighted and restored to a more natural state. Our current focus

on sponge cities is a chance for this to happen.”

Alistair’s water passion extends to those he’s helped flourish in their careers.

“Interns, graduates and juniors, with their fresh ideas and energy, influence how I do my job. I love working with them, mentoring them, and listening to their ideas. What they have to say is great.”

Alistair says finding a good mentor early in your career is important.

“It didn’t happen early enough for me, but I don’t regret the decisions and changes I’ve made along the way.”

To this end, Alistair spends time mentoring and helping develop young minds. He is currently working with the university in Wellington, supporting the Landscape Architecture School around stormwater management case studies.

“There are lots of amazing solutions that come through in the projects delivered by the unconstrained minds of undergraduates. It keeps my thinking fresh and optimistic about finding solutions for our stormwater challenges.”

It’s all about the why

Young Stormwater Professional of the Year finalist Amanda Kirk is driven by delivering better outcomes for communities around water. Her work is backed by technical expertise and excellent communication skills. By Mary Searle Bell

Amanda has been on an upwards career trajectory since she joined the stormwater industry some 10 years ago. From the outset, her colleagues could see her passion for making a difference in communities, and that passion is backed by the ability to deliver outstanding outcomes on complex projects.

As a first year natural resources engineering student with the University of Canterbury, she took work experience with Opus (now WSP) in her hometown of Tauranga. The firm welcomed her back in her second year, this time in its Whakatāne office. Such was the impression she made, they offered her a graduate role in their environment team.

“I love the Whakatāne office. We have a staff of around 20 and because of this, we cover a wide range of disciplines.

“I have a lot of opportunity to move around within the team. It’s great for a graduate, as I was able to work out what I like and what I’m good at; early in my career I worked on contaminated land, water quality management, and infrastructure design before doing construction contract management, and am now in project management.”

Amanda's work is largely for local government, and she says her stand-out projects are less about the project itself, and more about the people involved.

For much of 2023, she was embedded in the Ōpōtiki District Council office to help with the three waters transition, asset management and project delivery of three waters projects.

She then moved across to Tauranga City Council as project manager for the development of a stormwater management plan and flood risk hazard assessment for the proposed Tauriko West urban growth area. As part of her role, Amanda held workshops with landowners, iwi, and hapū to collaborate on the stormwater management plan and communicate results of the flood risk assessment.

Claudia Helberg, team leader city waters planning at Tauranga City Council, says the urban growth area involves complex issues

for the development of the land to address potential flood risk, impacts on freshwater bodies including rivers, modified watercourse and natural inland wetlands, as well as sites and values of cultural importance.

“Amanda was able to lead the discussion effectively with the developers to demonstrate how a ‘tool box’ approach for low impact design techniques was possible, and built this approach into the draft stormwater management plan for the comprehensive stormwater consent required,” she says.

Claudia says Amanda also assisted with presentations to hui for Te Kauae a Roopu – a hapū-centric forum for the six hapū recognised as having mana whenua status on the project.

“Amanda's winning style at these hui helped to address concerns about impacts of future urban development on the Wairoa River being a significant awa of cultural importance and taonga for mana whenua.”

In his Young Stormwater Professional award nomination, WSP technical principal Liam Foster says Amanda has been recognised for being “calm and collected and a reliable deliverer of projects. Additionally, local hapū and the councils have noted her exceptional communication skills sharing the complex ‘multi-disciplinary, big picture approach’.”

Amanda says she and Liam, while in opposite ends of the country, have worked together on a number of projects and are also in WSP’s diversity and inclusion advisory group, something that is very important to her.

She has immersed herself in te ao Māori, has a strong history of volunteer activities, including being a Wonder Project ambassador and hosting workshops to encourage young people into engineering careers. She also previously held the national research manager role for Engineers without Borders, a role that saw her “matching students with partners with needs in the humanitarian space to work on research projects with a real-world impact”.

Five years ago, as part of Homeward Bound, a year-long leadership development programme for women in science, technology, engineering, maths, and medicine, Amanda spent three weeks in Antarctica.

“I visited six research stations, where we chatted with staff. I was not only interested in the scientific research they were undertaking but was also fascinated by how they managed to operate in such a harsh environment.”

Liam says her approach and supportive attitude draw stakeholders and affected parties towards her, sharing the journey during often challenging projects.

“Amanda is recognised as one of our key emerging expert professionals in this field and for the way that she can convey the complex simply.”

He says her impact across WSP and within the industry so far is impressive, and describes her as the change that the industry needs to constantly evolve and improve.

“Looking ahead, I definitely will continue to focus on the stormwater space,” Amanda says. “We have a real opportunity to impact communities and the environment, particularly with flood risk outcomes.

“So often people focus on how and what, but I like to focus on the ‘why’, and the why is people. Engineers really do make a difference in communities.”

Amanda Kirk

Fresh look. Fresh name. Same great solutions.

Taking control

Edward Oxales has found the perfect fit for his skills and ambitions at Watercare – seizing the opportunity to become a control systems technologist within its digital team.

Although Edward is a qualified electrical engineer in the Philippines, he had no background in instrumentation – which is the traditional path to becoming a technologist. But two years after stepping into the job, his manager describes him as “one of the superstars of Watercare”.

Edward grew up in Mindanao and gained his engineering degree from the University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City. His first job out of university was working as a process engineer with Coca-Cola, which, like Watercare, also treats water.

It was Edward’s mother who raised the idea of him moving to Aotearoa.

“My mother had visited New Zealand as a tourist and liked it, and she thought there’d be a lot of opportunities for me here.”

On arriving, Edward gained a Diploma of Electrical Engineering at the International College of Auckland. Because New Zealand and the Philippines have different accreditation standards, his engineering degree wasn’t officially recognised here.

“For me to work as a qualified engineer, I needed someone to train and supervise me for 200 hours, and unfortunately I couldn’t find a supervisor.”

Edward started a job at Griffin's Foods as a machine operator, before joining Watercare in January 2021 as a process technician at the Pukekohe treatment plant. Which is how he met Jacques Cameron, who serviced the plant as control systems team leader.

“I was looking to fill one of our roles and somebody said, ‘Why don’t you consider Edward?’,” recalls Jacques. “We had a chat and in a stroke of luck, I discovered he was actually an electrical engineer.”

Because Edward didn’t have a background in instrumentation, Jacques first needed to sell the idea to his managers.

“Most of our team either have an instrumentation diploma or degree, but the minimum is a L4 qualification or apprenticeship.”

For Edward, it was an opportunity to use his skills in something closer

to his field of electrical engineering –working with advanced technologies like distributed control systems (DCS), programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and supervisory control data acquisition (SCADA).

During his first few months in the job, Edward shadowed Jacques to learn the ropes.

“There is a lot to learn,” says Edward. “But the whole team is very supportive, helping to mentor me and share their knowledge and skills.”

Edward will celebrate his two-year work anniversary in August, and Jacques says his performance has been outstanding.

“He’s absolutely excelled and exceeded all expectations. I think people who work with him would agree he’s one of the superstars of Watercare.”

Based on Edward’s success, the team later employed another team member, Gowtham Sakthivel, with a similar skillset.

Jacques says strong practical skills and a willingness to learn are just as important as formal qualifications.

“You can’t go to university for what we do – it’s absolutely something you learn on the job.”

Jacques says a control systems technologist is the link between the digital team and the plant technicians.

“Or as I always say to my colleagues, we’re the interface between the hardware and the software.”

The five-strong control systems team supports nine wastewater and water treatment plants and 100-plus pump stations, from Waikato to Wellsford. They oversee as many as 1200 different control systems across Watercare's facilities.

“Essentially, we help automate our processes and equipment across all sites and reduce the reliance on manual work.”

They play a crucial role in keeping Watercare’s infrastructure running –including in a crisis.

For example, when the Beachlands Wastewater Treatment Plant was struck by lightning several weeks ago, the control systems team rapidly repaired the I/O (input/ output) cards so the plant could keep running automatically, powered by generator.

“We’re a bit like the 007 of Watercare!” jokes Jacques.

“Most of the time we’re working in the background, just keeping everything working, but sometimes we need to swing into mission-critical mode.”

Article provided by Watercare

Nick Davis

Nick is a partner at MartinJenkins and a highly experienced economist and public policy advisor who has advised governments on economic, regulatory and machinery-of-government issues. He has played a significant role in water services reform and regulation, including supporting the implementation of Local Water Done Well.

Paddy McNamara

Paddy is a partner in Simpson Grierson’s planning and environment group and is advisor to some of New Zealand’s largest councils and council-controlled organisations (CCOs). Paddy has led Simpson Grierson’s advice on three waters structural reform to councils in Auckland, the Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay regions.

Mike Wakefield

Mike is a partner in Simpson Grierson’s planning and environment group. He specialises in local government and environmental law, involving all aspects of the regulatory functions of local government. Mike has been heavily involved in recent legislative reform programmes and continues to work closely with a number of councils on water reform.

Allan Prangnell

Allan is chief executive of Taumata Arowai. He was formerly deputy chief executive of Te Manatū Waka | Ministry of Transport. Prior to that he was executive director Three Waters at the Department of Internal Affairs where he led and delivered the establishment of Taumata Arowai. Key to this work was engagement with iwi across the motu on understanding and giving effect to iwi/hapū/Māori interests in water services and regulation.

Andy Burgess

Andy Burgess is general manager, Infrastructure Regulation at the Commerce Commission. Andy joined the Commission in 2019 after working for regulators in the United Kingdom. Andy is responsible for regulating electricity lines, gas pipelines, fibre broadband, the three main New Zealand airports, and future water infrastructure.

Daran Ponter

Daran Ponter is Chair, Greater Wellington Regional Council, a role he has held since 2019. He also cochairs the Wellington Regional Leadership Committee – charged with positioning the Wellington region for the future. He brings a wealth of experience in resource management, regional planning, Māori development, Treaty negotiations and public policy.

Preconference Symposium: Enabling local water to be done well

Tuesday, 24 September 2024, Claudelands, Kirikiriroa Hamilton

Join us as we focus on potential service delivery vehicles, regulatory quality standards and expectations, the decision making framework for an “aggregated” service delivery model, as well as funding and financing, learning from the Australian experience and how do we ensure no one gets left behind.

Andreas Heuser

Andreas is managing director of Castalia and co-leads its Asia-Pacific business. Since 2019 Andreas has led Castalia’s work on New Zealand water reform for clients including LGNZ and the 30 councils comprising Communities 4 Local Democracy (C4LD). Since February, he has chaired the Government’s Technical Advisory Group on Local Water Done Well and guided the Government’s policy development and design of the economic regulation regime,

Louise Marsden

Louise has 25 years of experience in infrastructure as an equity investor, debt provider and in governance roles. Louise joined Mafic from ACC’s Private Markets team, and previously worked in structured finance for BNP Paribas and Fortis Bank in Europe. She provided financial and commercial advice to DIA and the Treasury on the Three Waters / Affordable Water Reform programme under the previous Government.

Scott Priestly

Scott has investment banking experience across a wide range of sectors, including project finance, infrastructure and renewable energy. He has provided financial advice and arranged debt and equity for infrastructure projects in Australasia. Scott has extensive experience of water services policy through his role as the deputy commercial Lead for DIA on the Three Waters Reform Programme and advising Crown Infrastructure Partners, DIA and Treasury on Local Water Done Well policy.

Marlon Bridge

Marlon Bridge is the chief technical advisor for the Government on ‘Local Water Done Well’. Prior to this role, he was the deputy chief executive at Watercare where he also had various roles over the last decade including chief customer officer and chief financial officer. Marlon is proud of his Pākehā, Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whātua heritage.

Tim Barry

Tim has spent over 25 years in the water sector working for public and private entities and EPCM contractors in the UK, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand and is now the director of Community Lifelines at Gisborne District Council responsible for local body infrastructure in Te Tairāwhiti.

Ryan Signor

Ryan is Aurecon’s water market director in Australia. He has advised the Australian water utility sector on inter-jurisdictional water management and governance, ESG & sustainability strategy, corporate strategies & planning, workforce & supply chain matters, and capital programme & investment assurance. He sits on governance boards for major long-term strategy, planning, and capital delivery partnerships with Water NSW, Water Infrastructure NSW, Hunter Water, Yarra Valley Water, and other major metropolitan utilities.

Peter Dennis

Peter’s expertise covers utility operations, major programme delivery, strategic planning, capital decisions, climate adaptation, workforce trends, regulatory management, and risk management. As President of the Australian Water Association, Peter is a recognised thought leader on critical water sector issues.

Anna Jackson

As CEO of Unitywater, Anna is focused on delivering the sustainable water services to more than 800,000 residents and 11 million tourists across the Noosa, Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay areas. She is active in the Water Services Association of Australia and the Australian Water Partnership Advisory Committee.

George Theo

George is the chief executive of TasWater, Australia. He was the inaugural chair of the SWAN Asia Pacific Alliance, an organisation which aims to bring together key players in the water sector to achieve tangible outcomes in research and technology adoption. He has overseen transformation in businesses productivity improvements, capital planning and delivery, asset management, digital solutions, pricing, community and customer outcomes.

Lorraine Kendrick

Lorraine is the President of Water New Zealand. She is a chartered and international engineer, specialising in providing strategic advice for the public and private sector, responding to legislative and regulatory requirements, planning and delivering infrastructure programmes to meet the needs of the community.

PREMIER PARTNERS

Claudelands, Kirikiriroa Hamilton

NASA offers Earth photography to scientists

Erosion, tectonic uplift, and a human-built dam have all helped shape the Upper Lake Powell area in Utah. This astronaut photograph was taken with a Nikon D5 digital camera using a focal length of 1150 millimetres. It is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center.

The image has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed.

The International Space Station, while known for scientific and engineering experiments, is also an invaluable remote sensing platform. Astronaut photography offers a unique and dynamic aspect to features all over the Earth.

Astronauts on board the ISS use handheld cameras to take

images of the Earth with a variety of focal lengths available to capture anything from broad to extremely detailed views. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the International Space Station National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet.

The Crew Earth Observations team has made this asset available to the public, catering from classroom research to scientific research in need of views of a particular Earth feature from space.

Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth, visit eol.jsc.nasa.gov/

Valuing water – the role of volumetric charging

By Jeff Whitty and Peter Nunns, New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga

The prospect of introducing water meters evokes public opposition in some quarters. But sentiment may be changing. Councils up and down the country including Ashburton, Horowhenua, Hutt City, Marlborough, Queenstown Lakes, Stratford, Tararua, Wellington City, and more, have firm implementation plans, water meter trials, or investigations in their long-term plans.

Given this trend toward increased use of water meters, the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga, examined the role volumetric charging can play to influence consumption, investment demand, resource use and equity.

Water sector challenges are daunting and costly

Community water services face a range of challenges: more stringent drinking water and environmental standards, water shortages and the looming cost of renewals, repairs, and growth. To make matters worse, climate change is predicted to make water security one of the most significant risks facing the country. Addressing these challenges will be costly.

Already, ratepayers have experienced a nearly 10 percent average rates increase nationally this past year, and even higher increases are projected. Councils have faced criticism for these increases. Clearly, it is not enough to deliver high-quality services, they must also be affordable, and their costs distributed equitably.

Recent public discourse on water reform has largely focused on enabling councils to borrow more to finance increased investment. By comparison, less has been said about opportunities to reduce cost or defer investment demand.

Examining the role for volumetric charging

The increased use of volumetric charging is one of the recommendations in New Zealand’s Infrastructure Strategy. Our recent Valuing Water report builds on the strategy to examine how volumetric charging might:

• Affect how much water people use;

• Influence investment needed to grow and maintain assets;

• Compare with other water charging mechanisms with respect to the distributional impacts on households.

This report draws on both our Infrastructure Pricing Study published in May, and our ‘What’s Fair?’ research series, which examined the equity implications of providing and paying for infrastructure.

What we found

Many of our findings won’t be a surprise to readers, but some of them might be. First, about 57 percent of residential households are already metered and charged volumetrically for their water consumption. A large proportion of those numbers are driven by

Auckland, where water meters have been successfully used since the 1980s and 1990s.

Volumetric charging is associated with reduced consumption

While Kiwis remain one of the world’s highest users of water per capita, communities with volumetric charging use significantly less. The difference in usage between metered and unmetered urban councils is stark (see Figure 1).

Other methods are less effective at reducing consumption

Our literature review suggests that while education campaigns and the sharing of consumption data can encourage water conservation, the effects are shorter-lived and less effective than volumetric charging. Linking charges to usage provides a financial incentive to conserve.

Outdoor use restrictions in summer are common. For some communities, this rationing provides an effective, low-cost way of reducing demand. But water restrictions every second or third summer may not provide sufficient incentive to invest in more water-efficient gardens, fixtures or fittings.

Such restrictions also impinge on users who might prefer to pay for increased use, like maintaining a high standard of lawn health.

Deferring expensive upgrades

Both domestic and overseas case studies demonstrate how the use of volumetric charging can make better use of existing resources. For councils facing the prospect of major capital investments to accommodate increasing demand, volumetric charging buys time.

Readers may be familiar with the experiences in Tauranga, Kāpiti Coast, and elsewhere. When volumetric charging was introduced in Tauranga, it allowed deferral of the Waiāri Water Supply Scheme by more than 10 years, despite high population growth – saving an estimated $53.3 million in 2009 dollars. While in Kāpiti, volumetric charging allowed a proposed $30 million dam to be deferred by an estimated 30-40 years.

Meanwhile, the current water meter rollout in New Plymouth has already allowed the deferral of a $4 million pump station and pipeline upgrade. Additional benefits from delaying investment demand are likely.

Improved leak detection

Reducing leaks can be an attractive option to both defer investment demand and reduce operational costs. For instance, an analysis of data from over 800 US water utilities found leak reduction was more economically efficient than developing alternative water sources.

The installation of zone meters on distribution networks can help identify leak locations, just as residential meters support and incentivise households to address leaks on private property.

Reduced pressure on freshwater sources

In addition to saving money, deferring investment reduces pressure on water allocations. In the past decade, we have experienced the highest frequency of drought conditions since record-keeping began 80 years ago. The prospect of water scarcity is most pressing in regions where fresh-water resources are already overallocated.

With the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management requiring regional councils to phase out over-allocations over time, increasing scrutiny is applied to new or renewal consent applications. While growth may necessitate new resource consent applications, volumetric charging provides a means of demonstrating efficient use of existing allocations.

Improved investment choices and accountability

Volumetric charging can also strengthen water service investment practices and accountability. For instance, once financially sustainable tariffs are set, volumetric charging offers a revenue stream that scales up when water demand increases – providing greater confidence when funding upgrades for growth.

A direct relationship between water service providers and consumers also lifts accountability. This last point is often overlooked. Many unmetered New Zealanders may only be peripherally aware that they pay for water services through rates. Volumetric charging improves visibility of the cost of service, allowing households to link charges more directly with service quality and hold service providers to account.

Volumetric charging can be more equitable than fixed prices for water services

Modelling we commissioned shows that volumetric charging can reduce costs for many low-income ratepayers. These results are based on the finding that, low-income households tend to have fewer people than high-income households and use less water as a result.

Other studies show that low-income households tend to be more responsive to price than high-income households. Taken together, these two characteristics tend to make volumetric charges more progressive than charges that do not vary with use.

Volumetric charges allow lower-income households to reduce their costs by managing water use, whereas fixed charges limit opportunities to save money on their water bills.

Different communities have different needs and preferences, as well as different ability to pay. As a result, many local authorities that have introduced water meters have set up working groups with broad community representation to tailor billing structures to address preferences and equity issues.

The impact of volumetric charges on renters requires specific consideration as savings from reduced council rates may not necessarily be passed on by landlords.

Are perceptions changing?

While some ratepayers may resist change, others expect their councils to innovate and demonstrate prudent use of limited funding. Cost of living challenges increase the importance of delivering services affordably, with costs distributed equitably.

In late 2023, we commissioned a survey of over 3,000

New Zealanders, seeking their views on the fairest way to pay for a range of infrastructure services. When asked about the supply of mains water, 72 percent indicated that usage-based charges are fair – exceeding all other options (see Fig 2). These results are on par with 74 percent of respondents who felt that usage-based charges for electricity are fair.

Case-by-case considerations required

While the challenges facing the water sector will necessitate significant investment, we must also find ways to reduce costs, defer investment demand and improve equity outcomes for users. Modifying the way we pay for water services can be part of the solution.

Of course, volumetric charging may not be the best solution for all circumstances. Because of the cost associated with introducing water meters and new billing systems, the benefits derived from volumetric charging are likely to be greatest where systems are nearing capacity. Similarly, networks in need of significant renewals often cannot be progressed affordably in one go. In both cases, the introduction of volumetric charging buys time.

The Infrastructure Strategy promotes the use of a robust business case process to inform investment decisions – with decisions being considered on a case-by-case basis to identify where volumetric charging can offer net benefits.

You can find our report: Valuing water: sustainable water services and the role of volumetric charging on the Te Waihanga website: tewaihanga.govt.nz/our-work/research-insights/valuing-watersustainable-water-services-and-the-role-of-volumetric-charging

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New bill simulator sparks customer engagement on investment decision-making

Managing the balance between investment and consumer bill prices is a challenge faced by all utilities, particularly those with aging or underperforming assets.

But one Australian utility is utilising an innovative new bill simulator to help guide customer engagement on investment decisions.

Earlier this year, TasWater launched the biggest community engagement initiative in the utility’s history – Water. It’s a Tasmanian Thing – with all Tasmanians invited to join in the conversation about finding the right balance between price and service.

With the first survey now complete, TasWater has begun the next round of community engagement across the state, including the activation of an innovative new bill simulator to help customers understand the impacts of investment on their water bills.

TasWater chief financial officer Kane Ingham says the next round of community engagement would inform the draft Price and Service Plan submitted to the economic regulator next year.

“Decades of significant underinvestment in water and sewerage infrastructure means our network of pipes and treatment plants is not at the standard communities expect,” he said.

“Listening to our customers is central to determining how we shape the future of water across Tasmania.”

More than 3500 TasWater customers and community members registered to have a say with 1900 customers completing the first survey.

“Their priorities are clear – keeping bills affordable, fixing leaks and responding to faults quickly, and protecting and enhancing waterways and catchments were their areas of focus for the next five years.”

“We are now asking every Tasmanian to consider what impact increased investment will have on our prices, and what control they want over their bill from 1 July 2026.”

Bill simulation

TasWater has developed an innovative bill simulator that allows customers to move sliders to adjust the level of service they want and, importantly, see how this affects their bill and the bills of other customer types.

“This next phase of our community engagement helps provide context to the challenges we face for the future and literally puts choice at customers’ fingertips.

“To make the necessary improvements we will need to invest, but with many customers facing cost of living pressures, more control over water bills is something Tasmanians are asking for.”

Ingham says that, while customers have benefitted from price increases below inflation for the past four years, this will not be sustainable heading into the next pricing period.

“Prices will need to increase above inflation if we are to deliver improvements in services and reliability for our customers now and for future generations. This is why we are asking customers for input on what we prioritise, how we balance and apportion these increases

to find the right balance between price and service that’s fair for all Tasmanians.

“In the bill simulator, we’ve used the round figure of a $100 increase for a year from which customers can then manipulate their bill, up and down, based on their priority areas for services and investment.

“Fixing leaks and responding to faults is one area where we know improvement is needed and customers will get to look at that in the context of the cost to accelerate this work.”

TasWater’s pricing structure has the highest fixed percentage for any water utility in the country at 84 percent, with customers currently having limited control over their bills, Ingham says.

“We have listened to what our customers have been saying about how much of their bill they want to control. We are asking customers if they see benefit in reducing that fixed percentage and increasing the variable charges, meaning those that use less water pay less overall, and those that use more pay more.

“Either way, this is a revenue neutral outcome for TasWater, but we want customers to let us know what they think is fair for all Tasmanians.”

Next steps

Representing the deepest level of customer engagement ever facilitated by TasWater, customers are participating in online surveys and phone interviews throughout 2024-25, as well as an in-depth community panel.

“Along with other inputs, the survey results will be considered on behalf of customers by a community panel of 45 individuals who are representative of Tasmania later this year. The panel will provide deep and detailed feedback for the Price and Service Plan submission we will submit to the independent economic regulator by 30 June 2025 for their determination.

“The regulator will consider this submission, and consult with Tasmanians ahead of making a final price and service determination for the period from 1 July 2026.”

Ingham says the utility is now at a crossroads, where maintaining aging and poor performing assets is not a sustainable option into the future.

“To protect our environment, our health, our way of life, and our economy, we need to carefully consider what, where and when we invest in water and sewerage infrastructure for the benefit of all Tasmanians. We are excited that every Tasmanian will have the opportunity to be heard as we plan for a sustainable future.”

TasWater will share the full report on its Price and Service Plan engagement activities in March 2025.

This article first appeared in Water Source. Reproduced with permission.

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Aotearoa New Zealand’s drinking water safe from harmful ‘forever chemicals’

New research shows low levels of PFAS in Aotearoa New Zealand’s drinking water –but researchers at the University of Auckland urge caution.

Aotearoa New Zealand’s drinking water is largely free from elevated levels of dangerous ‘forever chemicals’, according to new research from the University of Auckland.

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), or ‘forever chemicals’, are known for their persistence and potential health risks, including developmental effects, immune system disruption, and certain types of cancer.

The Aotearoa New Zealand study, led by Associate Professor Lokesh Padhye from the Faculty of Engineering and Associate Professor Melanie Kah, Dr Erin Leitao, Professor David Barker and PhD candidate Shailja Data from the Faculty of Science, analysed samples from 20 locations across the country, including various suburbs in Auckland.

They found that the PFAS levels detected were below the most stringent drinking water regulations in the world, including the levels proposed recently by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The results from the study are “overwhelmingly positive news”, says Lokesh.

Contaminated drinking water is one of the main routes for human exposure to PFAS and is a major public health concern for industrialised countries.

A study by the EPA indicated widespread PFAS contamination in drinking water sources around the US, with many exceeding safe drinking limits.

The recent mapped data suggest Australia, China, Europe, and North America are PFAS hotspots relative to the rest of the world.

“Our findings were a pleasant surprise as the samples indicate that PFAS levels in Aotearoa New Zealand’s drinking water are relatively low. It’s a significant outcome for the community wellbeing of Aotearoa, especially in light of the recent global studies,” says Shailja Data, who coordinated the nationwide sampling for the study.

PFAS contamination can originate from many different sources, including industrial sites, firefighting foams, landfills, wastewater treatment plants, agricultural practices, consumer products, atmospheric deposition, and food packaging. Industries using or manufacturing PFAS can release them into the environment through air, water, or improper disposal.

While Aotearoa New Zealand lacks PFAS manufacturing sites, industries like metal plating may still contribute to contamination, says Lokesh. Historical use of firefighting foams and improper waste disposal also pose ongoing risks.

Due to the lack of national regulations for the manufacturing and import of consumer products, many ‘proper’ waste disposal practices can also contribute to PFAS load to the environment due to the widespread presence of PFAS in consumer products.

The researchers, who are investigating the burden of PFAS on Aotearoa New Zealand’s environment, tested the tap water, borewell water, and lake water for 30 PFAS, including regulated ones and found most PFAS below one part per trillion level.

Despite the positive findings, the research underscores the need for continued vigilance and proactive measures to safeguard the quality of the country’s drinking water, they say, especially considering thousands of PFAS exist in the environment. The samples, although representative, do not capture fluctuations or long-term trends in contamination levels.

“Regular water monitoring of emerging contaminants such as PFAS is crucial in Aotearoa New Zealand to address water quality issues and ensure public safety. It helps identify contamination sources, assess the effectiveness of water management practices, and protect the environment and public health,” says Lokesh.

Other recommendations from the research include enhancing waste management practices, regular monitoring, and sharing results to quell disinformation about water quality, along with conducting public awareness campaigns about water issues.

Collaboration among stakeholders is also essential to address global challenges associated with emerging contaminants in water, according to the research team.

The study sampled water from the following locations: Auckland CBD, Beachlands, Beach Haven, Botany, Christchurch, Dunedin, Flat Bush, Hamilton, Mairangi Bay, Mount Maunganui, Mount Roskill, Pukekohe, Remuera, Rotorua, St Heliers, Taupō, Te Atatū Peninsula, Titirangi, Queenstown (including a lake sample) and Waiheke.

Article supplied by the University of Auckland

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Liquid solution to nanoplastic problem

Mizzou scientists achieve more than 98 percent efficiency removing nanoplastics from water. The liquid-based solution uses a solvent to trap the plastic particles, leaving clean water behind.

University of Missouri scientists are battling against an emerging enemy of human health: nanoplastics. Much smaller in size than the diameter of an average human hair, nanoplastics are invisible to the naked eye.

Linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in people, nanoplastics continue to build up, largely unnoticed, in the world’s bodies of water. The challenge remains to develop a costeffective solution to get rid of nanoplastics while leaving clean water behind.

That’s where Mizzou comes in. Recently, researchers at the university created a new liquid-based solution that eliminates more than 98 percent of these microscopic plastic particles from water.

“Nanoplastics can disrupt aquatic ecosystems and enter the food chain, posing risks to both wildlife and humans,” says Piyuni Ishtaweera, a recent alumna who led the study while earning her doctorate in nano and materials chemistry at Mizzou.

“In layman’s terms, we’re developing better ways to remove contaminants such as nanoplastics from water.”

The innovative method – using waterrepelling solvents made from natural ingredients – not only offers a practical solution to the pressing issue of nanoplastic pollution but also paves the way for further research and development in advanced water purification technologies.

“Our strategy uses a small amount of designer solvent to absorb plastic particles from a large volume of water,” says Gary Baker, an associate professor in Mizzou’s Department of Chemistry and the study’s corresponding author. “Currently, the capacity of these solvents is not well understood. In future work, we aim to determine the maximum capacity of the solvent. Additionally, we will explore

methods to recycle the solvents, enabling their reuse multiple times if necessary.”

Initially, the solvent sits on the water’s surface the way oil floats on water. Once mixed with water and allowed to reseparate, the solvent floats back to the surface, carrying the nanoplastics within its molecular structure.

In the lab, the researchers simply use a pipette to remove the nanoplastic-laden solvent, leaving behind clean, plastic-free water. Baker said future studies will work to scale up the entire process so that it can be applied to larger bodies of water like lakes and, eventually, oceans.

Piyuni, who now works at the US Food and Drug Administration in St. Louis, notes that the new method is effective in both fresh and saltwater.

“These solvents are made from safe, nontoxic components, and their ability to repel water prevents additional contamination

of water sources, making them a highly sustainable solution,” she says. “From a scientific perspective, creating effective removal methods fosters innovation in filtration technologies, provides insights into nanomaterial behaviour and supports the development of informed environmental policies.”

The Mizzou team tested five different sizes of polystyrene-based nanoplastics, a common type of plastic used in the making of Styrofoam cups. Their results outperformed previous studies that largely focused on just a single size of plastic particles.

“Nanoplastics extraction from water by hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents” was published in  ACS Applied Engineering Materials. Additional co-authors are Mizzou’s Collen Ray, Wyland Filley and Garrett Cobb.

Article provided by the University of Missouri. Photos by Sam O’Keefe.

Above: This illustration outlines the two-step extraction method.

Left: Once mixed with water and allowed to reseparate, the solvent floats back to the surface, carrying the nanoplastics within its molecular structure.

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Ambitious plastic pollution reduction needed to stabilise ocean microplastics contamination this century

Microplastics have been found to be circulating in all of the Earth’s oceans, and levels are increasing. These tiny particles of plastics (less than 5mm in length) can be hazardous to marine life and make their way from our oceans into human food systems.

A new study from GNS Science and Imperial College London is the first to examine a range of plausible global pollution reduction scenarios, and the impact they would have on ocean microplastic contamination. The researchers used computer modelling to forecast ocean microplastics levels under eight different scenarios of microplastic pollution reduction from 2026 to 2100.

They found that a five percent per year microplastic pollution reduction will stabilise the ocean’s total microplastics load, and reduce concentrations at the surface, but even a reduction of 20 percent per year would not significantly reduce existing microplastics levels.

GNS Science carbon cycle modeller Karin Kvale says that because microplastics penetrate ocean food webs, they have the potential to persist in our oceans for a long time.

“Biological activity effectively traps microplastics in the upper ocean, where they get passed between plant and animal tissues in an ongoing cycle.”

The United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA) is aiming to adopt a legally binding resolution this year to eradicate the production of plastic pollution from 2040, including ocean microplastics. Karin and her team hope their analysis will help inform UN negotiations, which are planned throughout the year.

“Our results suggest that to make progress on the UNEA’s draft resolution to ‘end plastic pollution’ in this century, we’ll need to see significant reduction in pollution of at least five percent per year. This is an ambitious target, given plastics production is rapidly increasing.”

Microscopic marine life retains microplastics in surface ocean

Microplastics pose the greatest threat when they accumulate in the surface ocean, where they are consumed by marine life, including the fish that we eat. They form clumps with the products of other living organisms, either within pellets of faeces from tiny zooplankton, or clustered with the debris of microscopic plants (phytoplankton) known as ‘marine snow’.

These clumps can eventually sink down into the deep ocean, taking the microplastics with them, but the buoyancy of the

Biological microplastic aggregation processes. Slow biological microplastics removal under ocean pollution phase-out trajectories, Environmental Research Letters 2024.

microplastics can slow their sinking, leaving them nearer the surface.

As marine life holds onto microplastics near the surface, even if the level of pollution produced every year is reduced, there will still be microplastics in the surface ocean for centuries. When the clumps do sink, they will subsequently last in the deeper levels of the ocean for much longer, where their impacts on the ocean food webs are not well known.

“Biology has a potentially huge microplastics storage capacity. This means that clean-up technologies that target plastics litter removal can provide potentially large, long-term benefits to ocean ecosystems, alongside aggressive pollution reduction measures.”

The study found that microplastic contamination down through the ocean’s water column continued to worsen under all the pollution reduction scenarios tested, due to the microplastics already in the ocean and the slow rate of sinking. This suggests that any delays in reducing plastic pollution will carry long-lasting consequences for ocean ecosystem health.

Article provided by GNS Science

Unprecedented ocean change may impact key fisheries

NIWA scientists have seen substantial changes in the ocean to the east of Aotearoa New Zealand, with possible impacts for important fisheries.

Since 2006, strong, full-depth ocean warming has occurred south of the Chatham Islands at around five times the global rate because of the ocean currents moving 120 kilometres west.

NIWA physical oceanographer Dr Phil Sutton says it’s the first time they have seen change through the full depth of the ocean off Aotearoa New Zealand.

“The water that sits along the Chatham Rise is known as the Subtropical Front – a unique area where cold, fresh water from the Southern Ocean meets warm, salty water from the subtropics. The front runs from west to east, before dipping south. Over the years, it has gone through periods of warming and cooling, always coming back to baseline.

“However, since 2006, an area south of Chatham Islands started warming and hasn’t stopped, and models predict this will continue until beyond 2100. This warming has resulted from the Subtropical Front moving to the west, a change observed in three different datasets that matches our modelling precisely – something that’s rare in oceanography.”

NIWA used ocean measurements from satellites and Argo floats – a fleet of robotic instruments that move up and down through the water column and drift with the ocean currents.

They found that areas that once contained cooler, fresher water are now warmer and saltier. This was seen at all depths, from the ocean surface to the seafloor.

NIWA principal scientist – fisheries Dr Matt Dunn says the biological impacts are yet to be determined but several local species will likely be affected.

“There are animals adapted to live on the warm northern side and others adapted to the cold southern side, so when warm waters encroach, you’d expect the species that favour the warmer conditions to increase, and those that favour cold conditions to move away or disappear. However, it might take a few years, or a few fish generations, for the scale of the changes to become clear.”

The Subtropical Front along Chatham Rise creates a unique habitat that supports some of the most productive deep-sea fisheries in the world, where important hoki and orange roughy fisheries take place, including the oldest and largest orange roughy fishery in the world.

This is of great importance to the country’s economy. According to MPI, over 200,000 tonnes of fish are caught from Aotearoa New Zealand’s deepwater fisheries each year.

“I remember when I first started working at NIWA, I was told that this Subtropical Front doesn’t and wouldn’t ever move – that the geography of the seabed has locked it in place. So, these changes are unexpected. Because we’re watching it happen for the first time and don’t have anything to compare it to, we will only know the biological and fisheries impacts as they happen,” says Matt.

NIWA marine physics modeller Dr Graham Rickard said the

changes have occurred because of two mechanisms.

“The oceans in mid latitudes have warmed more than the oceans further south, resulting in a stronger gradient across the Southern Ocean. Additionally, westerly winds over the Southern Ocean have strengthened.

“These mechanisms have accelerated the surface flows in the Southern Ocean, which move from west to east. It’s not just an ‘event’ or something transient – it’s been driven by hemispheric changes in ocean heat content and winds that are embedded into the system.”

Under future scenarios, global climate models predict that this system-wide change will strengthen and persist until at least the end of this century.

Challenges remain to maintain critical observational infrastructure to further understand how these physical changes impact the wider New Zealand marine ecosystem.

Article provided by NIWA

Top: A graphic which shows the change in Sea Surface temperature between (2006-2010) and (2018-2022) along with a westward shift in the Subtropical front. Above: NIWA physical oceanographer Dr Phil Sutton with an Argo float; a key instrument in this research.

Tagging Fiordland sharks to monitor climate change

Scientists from NIWA and Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington are studying sharks in Fiordland to understand the effects of climate change.

The team spent a week in the South Island attaching transmitters to broadnose sevengill sharks to track their behaviour and movements.

NIWA fisheries scientist Dr Brit Finucci says that sharks are an apex predator with a crucial role in the ecosystem and can be indicators of the health of an environment.

“Fiordland National Park is an incredibly unique ecosystem. We know very little about the sharks that live in this area, but we do know that the Fiordland environment is at risk from climate change. Now is an opportune time to study how sharks may be impacted by a changing environment in the future,” says Brit.

The broadnose sevengill is commonly observed in Fiordland, reaching over

2.5 metres in length. It is a globally threatened species, with fishing activity reducing shark numbers in some locations. However, little is known about the impacts of climate change on their health and population.

The project, funded by the Save Our Seas Foundation, saw 11 sharks tagged, with divers installing 29 acoustic receivers on the seafloor.

“The sharks that we tagged were calm and relaxed, and it was amazing to see them so close when usually we only get glimpses of them whilst diving. The tags will transmit data for up to the next 10 years and the receivers we put on the seafloor will collect data every time a shark swims near it.”

Project lead Dr Alice Rogers, a senior lecturer in fisheries science at Victoria

University, says it is an exciting project to be working on.

“The team on the boat were great and it’s one of the most beautiful environments I’ve ever worked in, so I feel privileged to be doing this research. I also love this species – its ancestors date back to the Jurassic period, so they’re almost like dinosaurs. It’ll be great to see how resilient they are to the effects of climate change and warming seas.”

Article provided by NIWA

The team will return to Fiordland every six months to gather the data from the receivers. They will monitor the short- and long-term information on their movements to understand the sharks’ behaviour and how this may be changing.

Dr Brit Finucci guides in a broadnose sevengill shark for tagging and measurements.

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Battle of the barrens

Kelsey Miller is fighting on the frontlines against the kina barrens that are taking over large swathes of our coastal rocky reefs – but kina, says the marine scientist, are not the enemy. By Paul Panckhurst.

In the battle with kina barrens, underwater deserts where the sea urchins have taken over, Dr Kelsey Miller has more hands-on experience than just about anyone.

Donning her scuba gear, the marine scientist led colleagues and supporters in hundreds of dives to remove kina from the barrens on shallow rocky reefs in the Hauraki Gulf during the spring and summer of 2020 and 2021.

When Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones cites the presence of 400,000 kina on just 7.1 hectares (0.07 square kilometres) of reef as an illustration of an “industrial-sized, industrial-grade”

problem, he’s talking about Kelsey’s PhD project, which involved laboriously removing those urchins one by one.

Happily, her work showed that removing kina was extremely effective in rapidly restoring lush forests of the brownish kelp Ecklonia radiata.

“That just wasn’t expected,” says Kelsey. “The seaweed grew back naturally without anyone’s help; there was no need to ‘seed’ it. Simply removing the kina achieved so much.”

Now, Kelsey, a research fellow based at Leigh Marine Laboratory, and Dr Nick Shears, who supervised her PhD, are advising policy makers, iwi, fishers,

and local communities on how best to tackle barrens. The pair were among the scores of people at a hui hosted by Jones at the historic Awanui Hotel in the Far North in May.

Kelsey and Nick say increases in recreational catch limits for kina alone would achieve little; instead, special ‘restoration’ permits are better for largescale, systematic, effective removal. However, overfishing of kina predators like tāmure (snapper) and kōura (spiny lobster), is the underlying problem, and addressing this is the long-term solution.

For Kelsey, the kina work is the latest

Top: Dr Kelsey Miller: Donning her scuba gear, the marine scientist led colleagues and supporters in hundreds of dives to remove kina from the barrens on shallow rocky reefs in the Hauraki Gulf during the spring and summer of 2020 and 2021.

PHOTO COURTESY OF: PAUL CAIGER.

phase in a life devoted to the natural world, particularly the ocean.

Living at Ōmaha, within earshot of the waves, she spends as much time as possible in the water, including as a free diver, ocean swimmer, surfer, and an underwater hockey player.

Growing up, her family spent half of each year on the remote and sparsely populated Quadra Island in British Columbia, home to wolves, otters, deer and cougars, and visited occasionally by black bears, which would swim from a neighbouring island to steal apples.

Nature-minded and mobile, the family also lived in the US, Central and South America, and Southeast Asia.

As a young woman, Kelsey operated a US-based family wholesale crabmeat business, dealing with crab boats in Thailand. She went on to become a

fisheries observer on fishing boats in the Pacific Ocean, along the coast from California to Washington, and in the Maldives, recording information on bycatch, fuel use and species interactions.

After becoming a marine scientist, Kelsey was drawn to Aotearoa New Zealand by our high-quality research into the kelp problem, which she knew from North America, where urchins have destroyed almost all of California’s coastal kelp.

Around the world, kelp forests provide homes for marine life, limit the erosion of coastal land, produce oxygen and food, and sequester carbon. They’re like an underwater Amazon forest. But they are disappearing at an estimated rate of 1.8 percent per year – twice as fast as coral reefs and four times quicker than tropical forests, Kelsey points out.

Laborious kina removal work for Kelsey’s PhD project involved cracking and crushing kina with metal pipes or

hammers, leaving their roe to be eaten by other sea creatures. A small portion were able to be harvested for iwi.

“It’s not easy diving,” Kelsey says. “You’re huffing and puffing, it’s really hard work.”

A repetitive strain injury requiring a wrist brace resulted from her biggest single daily removal of 10,000 kina. All up, the project took 900 hours of diving by Kelsey and her colleagues and supporters: 450 hours for removal work and 450 hours of monitoring.

“I don’t like killing kina; I don’t like killing anything. It was very unpleasant,” she says. “But seeing the recovery from a barren to a huge kelp forest made it seem worthwhile. It just blew me away.”

Iwi have mixed views on culling a taonga species, but in this case Ngāti Manuhiri and Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki supported the research, which was carried out under a government scientific permit, to understand how the mauri of the rocky reefs might be restored.

Around the world, kelp forests provide homes for marine life. Kelsey now plans to research why kelp in some areas recovers better than others.

PHOTO COURTESY OF: PAUL CAIGER.

Hauturu transition, images courtesy of the University of Auckland.

Declines in large snapper and spiny lobster, capable of cracking open a mature kina for a meal, have seen kina take over an estimated 14 percent, or 30 square kilometres, of the coastal rocky reef in the north-eastern upper North Island, from Tāwharanui in the south to Maitai Bay in the north.

This seems to be the worst-affected area, but barrens are dotted around the country.

With everyone keen to help, Kelsey is flagging that the solution isn’t as simple as rushing to the sea to grab a feed of kina.

For one thing, kina from barrens are often not good eating; smaller and somewhat starved, living on in a kind of hibernation once the kelp is gone, their roe doesn’t taste as good.

This limits the potential to harvest them for kai. (There are ambitious plans to harvest malnourished kina then feed

and fatten them in land-based facilities.)

Haphazard removals of kina won’t achieve much without long-term and systematic planning, since, until lobsters and large snappers stage a revival, continued removals by culling or harvesting will be needed – a one-off burst won’t do it.

And dropping ‘green gravel’, small rocks seeded with kelp, into barrens will feed kina rather than rebuild kelp forests unless kina are cleared first.

“The long-term solution is for the big predators, the snapper and the spiny lobsters, to return, which would require more restrictions on fishing,” says Kelsey.

“For the short-term, however, we now know we have an extremely effective method for restoring these beautiful forests.”

Next, she plans to create a guide book for community groups, hapū and iwi on

TOUGH OUTSIDE.

SMART INSIDE.

kina removal, and to research the detail of why kelp recovers better in some places than others.

One thing she knows: kina are not the enemy.

They’re remarkable creatures, responsible for underwater coastal choruses at dusk and dawn like those of birds in a forest.

The noises are the sound of the urchins eating by scraping algae off rocks with their protruding teeth. The noises are amplified by the creatures’ hard, dome-shaped bodies.

In the right numbers, they are not a problem and are an important part of the ecosystem.

“We’ve demonised them,” says Kelsey, “but it’s not their fault – they’re just out there trying to live their best lives, eating when they are hungry.”

This article first appeared in the University of Auckland’s UniNews

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Maps reveal Lake Rotorua’s hidden depths

Following on from the Lake Rotomahana (2020), Lake Rotoiti (2021), and Lake Tarawera (2022) map releases, GNS Science’s mapping of Lake Rotorua has redefined its understanding of the region’s hidden depths.

The Lake Rotorua Map (2023) captures the bathymetry of the lake floor in unprecedented detail. Mapping includes a two-metre grid of bathymetric data, reaching a maximum depth of 53.5 metres off Sulphur Point.

The bathymetric map reveals thousands of pockmarks that dot the lake floor, with some reaching an impressive 50 metres in diameter. These pockmarks are characteristic of gas discharge, the small craters pointing to where the release of gas bubbles have disturbed sedimentation on the lake floor.

The bathymetric map also shows evidence for an ancient river that once meandered and carved the land offshore of Sulphur Point, winding its way to the west of Mokoia Island and curving to the northeast.

The depiction of a river provides a tangible link to the landscape that predates the formation of Lake Rotorua, which is linked to when the Rotorua Caldera last subsided some 220,000 years ago.

Geological evidence indicates Lake Rotorua is at least 65,000 years old and has been at its current level since 22,000 years ago.

Active hydrothermal system mapped for the first time

Close to the heart of Rotorua city, just offshore the iconic Sulphur Point, the map reveals an active underwater hydrothermal system characterised by numerous hydrothermal eruption craters. These craters, now venting hot water and gas, are clear evidence of the various inputs into the lake that affect its ecosystem.

To better understand the geological setting of the lake and its sublacustrine hydrothermal system, GNS scientists have gone ‘below’ the surface of the lake by conducting gravity, magnetic and heat flow surveys.

Lead author Dr. Cornel de Ronde says it’s “a prime example of a holistic approach to understanding our geothermal-hosted volcanic lakes, empowering us to better model the intricate workings of the Rotorua geothermal system that projects offshore from Sulphur Point”.

The high heat flow offshore Sulphur Point is illustrated in the conductive heat flow map (left), where hot water is rising up to the lake floor as shown by the deep red-brown colours which are encircled by a donut-shaped zone coloured dark blue where cold lake water is being drawn down beneath the lake floor.

The same story is depicted in the magnetic intensity map (right). That is, volcanic rocks typically contain the mineral magnetite which is highly magnetic and aligns itself to the earth’s magnetic field. However, hot water can transform magnetite into a mineral called pyrite, which has virtually no magnetic signal. This is shown by the indigo colours

Top: The new map poster shows a detailed view of the lake floor bathymetry In Lake Rotorua at a scale of 1 to 17,500. Three smaller maps in the post detail free air gravity, total magnetic intensity and conductive heat-flow over the lake.

Above: The high heat flow offshore Sulphur Point is illustrated in the conductive heat flow map on the left. The magnetic intensity map on the right diepicts how the hot water has demagnetised the rocks in the area.

covering the hydrothermal eruption craters which relate to very low, or no magnetic intensity.

Combined, both the magnetic intensity and the conductive heat flow datasets provide good evidence that the area offshore Sulphur Point is an active hydrothermal system and has been for some time. Significantly, this system is believed to be an extension of the onshore Rotorua geothermal system and opens a new chapter in our understanding of the complex interplay between terrestrial and lacustrine parts of the same geothermal system.

Surveys reveal subsurface secrets

The magnetic survey also shows how volcanic rocks to the southwest and southeast of the lake project under the shoreline (red colours).

Moreover, the data also show a subtle magnetic anomaly in the centre of the lake (orange), northwest of Mokoia Island. This anomaly coincides with a subtle heat flow anomaly, hinting at a possible igneous intrusion and another hydrothermal system nearby – exciting clues as to the hydrothermal processes at play beneath the lake floor.

Looking deeper into the region’s geology, our experts gained intriguing insights from conducting a gravity survey.

In contrast to the bathymetric data, which shows the details of the lake floor, the free air gravity dataset showcases the varying depths of the basement greywacke rocks underlying the lake.

The mapping shows the basement rocks are at their shallowest in the southwestern part of the lake and progressively deepen towards the northeast, adding to our understanding on the structure of the basement below Rotorua caldera.

We are excited not only for how these new maps broaden our collective knowledge of the region, but also celebrate the iconic landscape and will contribute to further study in the future.

Paul Scholes, senior environmental scientist from Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana says, “The new maps are fundamental in assisting Bay of Plenty Regional Council and the wider community in managing the lake and its associated geothermal resources.

“The geographical and geological information added provides invaluable information to the taonga that are the Te Arawa Rotorua lakes and the series of maps being developed provides a great resource for our community.”

The mapping project has been an exemplar in cross-government collaboration. Commander Tim Hall, the Royal New Zealand Navy’s chief hydrographer, says “This activity provided our hydrographic surveyors a valuable opportunity to gain experience in a freshwater environment and demonstrates the ability of different government agencies to collaborate effectively for a common purpose.”

Article provided by GNS Science

Deep hydrothermal eruption craters, shown in purple, have been mapped just offshore Sulphur Point, reaching a maximum depth of 53.5 metres.

Making the final cut: Redoubt Road night works go off without a hitch

A major feat of planning, cooperation, timing and construction was pulled off at the Redoubt Road reservoir complex in July – while most of Auckland slept.

The work involved cutting into the Waikato watermain to connect to the newest reservoir pipework.

The work, which was three months in the planning, involved cutting into the Waikato watermain to connect the newest reservoir’s pipework.

Watercare Project manager Martin Hughes says this was the last of four connections required for the project.

“This one needed the most input from the operations team because we had to shut down the Waikato Water Treatment Plant and Waikato watermain.

“The complex’s third reservoir went into service in March but was only receiving water from the Ardmore Water Treatment Plant. This final cut-in means it now gets water from both Ardmore and Waikato.

“Finding the right window of time for the work was challenging – Auckland’s total water demand had to fall below 420 million litres per day before the Waikato plant could be shut down.”

Watercare Head of service delivery

Sharon Danks says there were two previous attempts to put the plan in motion, but demand remained too high to risk taking the Waikato supply out of the network.

“Removing 225MLD of production capacity from the network has a really

significant impact. The weather was on our side this time – rain lowers demand because people aren’t out washing their cars or watering the garden.

“Luckily it was just the right amount of rain – too much would have potentially caused issues.

“We manned all the treatment plants because there was a risk that the rain coming through would be more than expected. For Huia, it doesn’t take much rain to increase the turbidity of the water and the plant would need to be manned to facilitate flow changes.

“For Ardmore, there was a risk of 6080mm of rain which could have meant changing the treatment processes and the dams which the water was drawn from.

“Luckily, the weather went off to the east and didn’t hit Auckland at all.”

Sharon says operations engineer Lucas Gan planned and coordinated the operation and worked with the treatment plant staff to make sure everything was in place for the night works.

“The main risk was to the treatment plants and Lucas did a great job of planning and coordinating the shutdown.”

Martin says the work went smoothly

with no interruption to supply and was finished ahead of schedule.

“The Waikato plant was turned off at 11am on Friday and the transmission operations team isolated the pipe and drained it down.

“The pipe was handed over to the cut-in team at 6pm. The first cut into the existing pipe started at 8pm and the new pipe was in place around 10pm.

“The bulk of the welding was finished by 5am on Saturday and the weld testing was finished by 8am.

“The pipe was handed back to the operations team at 2pm, which was ahead of schedule. We were supposed to finish by 4pm on Saturday and the actual construction was finished by 8am. It went extremely well.

“Our delivery partners Fulton Hogan, March Cato, and Olsen Welding did a great job.”

Martin says there is some reinstatement work done in early August and will mark the end of the project.

“The team is now busy working on asbuilt drawings and asset capitalisation for this project.”

Article provided by Watercare

The pipe was handed over to the cut-in team at 6pm. The first cut into the existing pipe started at 8pm and the new pipe was in place around 10pm.

Resurrecting the 1863 Bungtown siphon

As part of the Clutha District Council’s Three Waters Contract, Isaac Construction was engaged to re-establish the Bungtown Siphon.

Bungtown (known in the 1860s as Bunktown) was an old staging post on the travel route between Lawrence and Dunedin.

The discovery of gold at Gabriel’s Gully, three kilometres northeast of Lawrence, in 1861 and the ensuing gold rush drove the need to harness the power of water for the gold sluicing operations prevalent in Gabriel’s Gully.

Surveyors and engineers stepped up to devise and construct two key projects, the Water Race and the Siphon, which draws water from Bungtown Creek to feed the Phoenix Dam.

Today, the Phoenix Dam, which is the main water storage for the area of Lawrence, has reached the end of its life. With this in mind, the CDC elected to redirect the Water Treatment Plant inflows around the Phoenix Dam and to re-establish the Bungtown Siphon and Water Race (last operational in the early 2000s) to cover the shortfall in storage due to the loss of the Phoenix Dam.

The bypass is a temporary solution until the new Greenfield Bore (with water supplied from the Clutha River) is operational, which will supply the Lawrence township in the future.

This is under construction and involves the amalgamation of pipe networks with four pumping stations and a network of 48.5 kilometres of pipework. It is expected to be completed in late 2024.

In the interim, the siphon draws water from a concrete weir and pipes it down the valley until it reaches the start of the water race.

In height terms, the pipework drops 10 metres on the inside of an incised creek – rugged, steep, and stepped – until it climbs eight metres to the start of the water race. The water race is 4.5 kilometres long and passes through one tunnel and down a five metre vertical drop.

Work involved surveying the existing siphon and water race to inform design considerations, constructing the new 315 millimetre PE siphon, removing the old siphon, clearing the water race, piping the first 300 metres of the water race, and deploying the siphon.

This article first appeared in Contractor magazine

In height terms, the pipework drops 10 metres on the inside of an incised creek –rugged, steep, and stepped – until it climbs eight metres to the start of the water race.

Scientists find oceans of water on Mars. It’s just too deep to tap.

Seismic data from NASA’s Insight lander indicate deep, porous rock filled with liquid water. By Robert Sanders

Using seismic activity to probe the interior of Mars, geophysicists have found evidence for a large underground reservoir of liquid water – enough to fill oceans on the planet’s surface.

The data from NASA’s Insight lander allowed the scientists to estimate that the amount of groundwater could cover the entire planet to a depth of between one and two kilometres.

While that’s good news for those tracking the fate of water on the planet after its oceans disappeared more than three billion years ago, the reservoir won’t be of much use to anyone trying to tap into it to supply a future Mars colony. It’s located in tiny cracks and pores in rock in the middle of the Martian crust, between 11.5 and 20 kilometres below the surface. Even on Earth, drilling that deep would be a challenge.

The finding does pinpoint another promising place to look for life on Mars, however, if the reservoir can be accessed. For the moment, it helps answer questions about the geological history of the planet.

“Understanding the Martian water cycle is critical for understanding the evolution of the climate, surface and interior,” says Vashan Wright, a former UC Berkeley postdoctoral fellow who is now an assistant professor at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “A useful starting point is to identify where water is and how much is there.”

Vashan, alongside colleagues Michael Manga of UC Berkeley and Matthias Morzfeld of Scripps Oceanography, detailed their analysis in a paper published last month in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The scientists employed a mathematical model of rock physics, identical to models used on Earth to map underground aquifers and oil fields, to conclude that the seismic data from Insight are best explained by a deep layer of fractured

about Mars’ interior. NASA/JPL-Caltech

A cutout of the Martian interior beneath NASA’s Insight lander. The top 5 kilometers of the crust appear to be dry, but a new study provides evidence for a zone of fractured rock 11.5-20 kms below the surface that is full of liquid water — more than the volume proposed to have filled hypothesised ancient Martian oceans. James Tuttle Keane and Aaron Rodriquez, courtesy of Scripps Institution of Oceanography

igneous rock saturated with liquid water. Igneous rocks are cooled hot magma, like the granite of the Sierra Nevada.

“Establishing that there is a big reservoir of liquid water provides some window into what the climate was like or could be like,” said Michael, a UC Berkeley professor of earth and planetary science. “And water is necessary for life as we know it. I don’t see why [the underground reservoir] is not a habitable environment. It’s certainly true on Earth – deep, deep mines host life, the bottom of the ocean hosts life. We haven’t found any evidence for life on Mars, but at least we have identified a place that should,

in principle, be able to sustain life.”

Michael noted that lots of evidence –river channels, deltas and lake deposits, as well as water-altered rock – supports the hypothesis that water once flowed on the planet’s surface. But that wet period ended more than three billion years ago, after Mars lost its atmosphere.

Planetary scientists on Earth have sent many probes and landers to the planet to find out what happened to that water –the water frozen in Mars’ polar ice caps can’t account for it all – as well as when it happened, and whether life exists or used to exist on the planet.

An artist’s concept of the InSight lander on Mars after the lander’s robotic arm deployed a seismometer (domed object to the left of the lander) and a heat probe directly onto the ground. The lander stopped recording data in 2022, but scientists are still mining the data for information

The new findings are an indication that much of the water did not escape into space but filtered down into the crust.

The Insight lander was sent by NASA to Mars in 2018 to investigate the crust, mantle, core and atmosphere, and it recorded invaluable information about Mars’ interior before the mission ended in 2022.

“The mission greatly exceeded my expectations,” Michael says. “From looking at all the seismic data that Insight collected, they’ve figured out the thickness

of the crust, the depth of the core, the composition of the core, even a little bit about the temperature within the mantle.”

Insight detected Mars quakes up to about a magnitude of five, meteor impacts and rumblings from volcanic areas, all of which produced seismic waves that allowed geophysicists to probe the interior.

An earlier paper reported that above a depth of about five kilometres, the upper crust did not contain water ice, as Michael and others suspected. That may

mean that there’s little accessible frozen groundwater outside the polar regions.

The new paper analysed the deeper crust and concluded that the “available data are best explained by a water-saturated mid-crust” below Insight’s location. Assuming the crust is similar throughout the planet, the team argued, there should be more water in this mid-crust zone than the “volumes proposed to have filled hypothesised ancient Martian oceans.”

Article provided by the University of California, Berkley

A 2018 photo of Mars during a dust storm, snapped by the Hubble Space Telescope. More than three billion years ago, the dusty red planet had oceans and rivers. That water disappeared, leaving only ice on the surface, most of it in the polar caps. A new analysis of Mars’ interior suggests that much of the liquid water still exists in the pores of rocks 10-20 kilometers below the surface. NASA, ESA, STScI

Photo courtesy of Brandenburger Liner

Trenchless pipe and manhole rehabilitation that delivers.

Brandenburger pipe liners from BurrowTech provide fast, cost effective, trenchless pipeline rehabilitation. The patented winding technology has produced more than 7,000,000 m of structural liners over the past 20 years.

The pipe liners are cured in-situ using UV light technology and form what is essentially a new pipe within the old pipe.

The pipe liners use pre-impregnated laminate to create a uniform wall thickness for a fully structural lining solution. The factory impregnation process ensures the resin completely penetrates the glass. All QA testing is completed prior to the material being dispatched. This guarantees zero defects in the material, and a crease-free pipe liner.

Since the dimensions, cross-sections and mechanical loads vary depending on the pipe to be renovated, BurrowTech not only offer a suitable product for every situation but also provide expert support and technical advice.

Challenging

upgrade increases water supply capacity

A capacity upgrade project at Hamilton’s Waiora Water Treatment Plant has increased capacity by 40 mega-litres per day (MLD), bringing the total treated water capacity to 140 MLD. Delivered by Brian Perry Civil for Hamilton City Council, City Waters, the construction work encountered numerous challenges.

The scope of works included a range of components, including installation of new underground services, the construction of a 250 kilolitre raw water feed tank, a hydro cyclone plant, a waste attenuation tank, and a chemical unloading area. Additionally, a new process plant building to house a state-of-the-art 40 MLD microfiltration water treatment plant and an electrical room were built.

Construction work began in August 2023, right in the middle of winter, and heavy rainfall during this time made earthworks tricky.

Brian Perry Civil (BPC) says the complexity of the project was clear from the start. Located inside the city’s sole water treatment plant, the project required careful coordination to ensure works did not disrupt the plant’s operations.

The big worry was the risk of contaminating the city’s drinking water or the adjacent Waikato River. Because the area was high-risk, a strict permit system was put in place with the plant operations team. Every morning, the construction team discussed daily permits to keep everyone on the same page and manage risks properly.

The BPC team was augmented by local subcontractors Ormsby Civil Contractors and iLine Construction, and consultants Neu Flow.

For the water tank installation, 12 metre-deep sheet piles spanning 60 metres were placed, ensuring safety in all deep excavations. This in itself was a massive job that required careful planning and precise execution. The tank installed was 21.8 metres long with a 3.5 metre diameter, and the excavation reached about eight metres deep.

Working with BPC’s ground engineering division, the team designed horizontal bracing frames that made it possible to install three underground tanks with capacities of 150kl, 27kl, and 9kl.

Trench shields were vital for these deep excavations, which included the installation of culverts, manholes, pipes, and 11kVA cable crossings.

BPC says laying a DN225 pipe 3.5 metres underground, right below a live culvert and service trench, was one of the most complex tasks of this project. The live Plant

Above: Sheetwall and tank installation. For the water tank installation, 12 metre deep sheet piles spanning 60 metres were placed, ensuring safety in all deep excavations. Inset: Trench shields were vital for these deep excavations, which included the installation of culverts, manholes, pipes, and 11kVA cable crossings.

culvert had water flowing through it, and any damage would have left the council with a very short back-up supply of water to keep the city going.

Additionally, another DN225 pipe was positioned two metres beneath highvoltage cables, requiring strict legal compliance and extra safety precautions. Digging under high-voltage cables meant going deeper than usual and the team had to suspend the cables using beams.

BPC carefully pushed the pipe underneath the culvert, using a hydrovac to safely excavate while advancing the pipe, effectively performing pipe thrusting.

Another challenging aspect was relocating numerous undocumented services, including water and chemical lines. Even after a scan survey, the team couldn’t identify all the services until they started digging. This led to frequent clashes and many ‘stop and redesign’ moments.

Traces of contamination and live lines meant bringing in an asbestos consultant and an external electrician from the council to ensure everything was handled safely and efficiently.

An Environmental Management Plan was implemented due to the strict conditions within the Water Treatment Plant. Erosion and sediment controls were put in place to manage runoff, ensuring no

impact on the Water Treatment Plant, nor the adjacent Waikato River.

BPC had to be particularly vigilant about the dust suppression to prevent contamination of the open potable water retention ponds. Dust suppression was achieved manually with water spray to ensure 100 percent effectiveness. BPC also

used an eco-friendly polymer spray to control dust to ensure a clean environment was maintained and alarms in nearby sensitive buildings weren’t triggered.

The successful installation of the underground tanks and high-risk pipe installations was a significant achievement.

Completed in May 2024, the project not

The project's close proximity to the road had risk of collapsing the excavations.

only increases Hamilton’s water treatment capacity but also enhances its resilience.

Brian Perry Civil’s Waiora 2 – Capacity Upgrade Project was a finalist in Category 3 of the 2024 Civil Contractors New Zealand (CCNZ) National Awards. This article is compiled from information in the awards entry form.

ENGINEERED PUMPING SOLUTIONS

REAL-TIME DATA

Are you working with data that’s days, weeks, or months old? Are you making decisions based on outdated or unreliable information from manual or semi-automated meter reading?

Resilient water management is critical now more than ever to address water scarcity issues arising from climate change and increasing population growth.

It’s time to get real, with Real-Time Data enabled by Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) solutions from Itron.

AMI or AMR?

Traditional Automated Meter Reading (AMR) systems have been a reliable tool for water utilities, allowing for drive-by or walk-by meter data collection. However, AMR’s limitations become increasingly apparent as the need for Real-Time Data and proactive management grows.

AMI takes water metering to the next level by providing real-time, two-way communication between the water meter and your operations centre.

Real-Time Data:

AMI enables instant access to water usage data, allowing for timely, strategic decision-making and rapid response to issues such as leaks, theft, or abnormal usage patterns.

Other than immediate access to information, other benefits of choosing to use AMI include:

• Eliminate manual meter reading - significantly lowering labour costs

• Manage and improve non-revenue water loss

• Operational visibility

• Leverage existing networks

• Reducing the carbon footprint associated with vehicle-based readings

• Continuous data monitoring enables leaks to be detected almost as soon as they occur

• Advanced data analytics and reporting capabilities with Temetra

• Increased customer engagement & satisfaction

Reach out to the Hynds Water Team to learn more about how we can assist you transition your water meter assets to improve the management of your water network. hyndswaterteam@hynds.co.nz

Visual of Real-Time Data

A look into the past

Water New Zealand communications manager Debra Harrington and her husband Chris recently travelled to Istanbul, where they were captivated by the city’s rich history, and amazed by the beauty of the ancient water infrastructure. Chris writes about the experience.

I finished my coffee and set off reluctantly to the Basilica Cistern. After the wonders of Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, then the 6th century Byzantine church which is now the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, and the huge land walls, what on earth could an old water reservoir offer?

Well, I was wrong. The Basilica Cistern is not only beautiful but a stunning monument to the Byzantine and a later Islamic infrastructure build.

Joining the other curious tourists, you enter a wonderful underwater cathedral. The lighting is subtle yet exceptional, and these days there is a collection of stunning modern sculptures, ‘Deeper Beneath’, by seven prominent Turkish sculptors. Added to that is a pair of ancient Roman sculpted heads of Medusa that were salvaged from old Constantinople temples when the cistern was built.

If it all looks oddly familiar, it may be because it was used as a set for the classic 1963 James Bond movie, From Russia with Love

Astonishingly, the Basilica Cistern is just one of 200 cisterns built across Istanbul in a water infrastructure mega build prompted by war.

Some of the other 200 cisterns are also tourist attractions, like the Theodosius cistern with its Corinthian columns and the smaller Pulcheria cistern that was abandoned and became a factory for silk spinners. There are also large open cisterns like the Aelius cistern, which is now a football ground.

So how did this all happen? When Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople from Rome, he chose a brilliant strategic site.

‘Seclusion’ by Muzaffer Tuncer, from the Deeper Beneath exhibition

‘Anxious Sages’ by Oznan Unal, from the Deeper Beneath exhibition

A city based on a triangle bordered on two sides by water and the third side that could be sealed off with 12 kilometres of high walls. The problem was always an adequate water supply.

The marauding Avars, for example, cut the water supply later in 626 AD. The Avars were defeated and, thanks to the walls and water supply, Constantinople would survive as a Christian capital till 1453.

As I stand in this cool temple under the streets and tramcars above, I’m reminded that the Basilica cistern was bult by one of Byzantium’s greatest emperors, Justinian, in 532AD. Even by then this cistern was a late part of the water jigsaw.

There already were aqueducts like the mighty Valens aqueduct that was started in 364 AD and which spans one of Istanbul’s busiest roads.

All this water infrastructure in Constantinople was begun by the man who built that famous stone wall across Northern England, the Emperor Hadrian.

We’re Creating the Future of Water through sustainable pipeline solutions

Head of Medusa, Roman sculptor unknown.

But there were always pressures on the water supply.

In around AD 440 there was an edict proclaiming that the water from the Aqueduct of Hadrian could only be used for

public baths and the imperial palace, and no longer for domestic use or irrigation.

To solve those water problems, the Byzantine emperors over centuries pushed westwards and collected the water from the Belgrade Forest in Thrace, 120 kilometres away. In those days water could only be piped from those distant hills by gravity –there were no pump stations.

A chronicler of the time, Theophanes, has recorded that one emperor had over 1000 masons, 200 brickmakers, and 5000 labourers working on a rebuild of the water system. It’s estimated that 2.5 million cubic metres of stone were needed to build all the bridges and channels.

By the reign of Theodosius II in the early 5th century, Byzantium could claim that this was the longest water supply system in the Roman world, a network of channels that has now been estimated to be 494 kilometres in length.

Over the centuries, with plagues and wars, Constantinople and its water system gradually fell into disrepair.

In 1453, Constantinople fell to the Seljuk

Turks and became Istanbul. One of the first tasks of its conqueror, Sultan Mehmed II, was the restoration of the water supply system.

Later, the greatest Muslim Emperor Suleiman the Magnificent continued that work with his celebrated architect Mimar Sinan. The story goes that Suleiman was spurred into action when he noticed a leaking aqueduct on a boar hunt in Thrace.

The Sultans went on to build the Kirkcesme system, with its 55 kilometres of channels and another 33 aqueducts. Again they were drawing water from as far as modern-day Bulgaria.

After an hour of savouring this history and the Cistern’s coolness and art, I returned to the streets of Istanbul and reflected on the sheer scale of this exceptional infrastructure built in an earlier time of emperors, generals, and their edicts.

If you’d like to hear more about this from Chris, in a podcast on Spotify, he discusses the water infrastructure of Constantinople with eminent Byzantine scholar Professor Jim Crow from Edinburgh University.

Top and below: Istanbul’s Yerebatan or Basilica Cistern

Remains of historic dam removed to protect stream

In Taranaki, the remains of the century-old Lake Mangamahoe Low Head Dam were causing environmental damage downstream from the lake, so New Plymouth District Council engaged contractor Downer to remove the concrete relics.

Lake Mangamahoe Low Head Dam was constructed in the early 1900s for power generation. However, it never performed as expected and was replaced in 1931 by the dam that ultimately formed the lake.

“The low-head dam remained in place, and it deteriorated over the years, eventually causing streamside erosion,” says council infrastructure project manager James Harrop.

Given the age of the dam, there were no detailed drawings of the structure, which posed a constraint in planning and executing its demolition. This meant careful assessment and adaptive approaches, such as stabilisation measures to prevent further damage, were needed prior to its removal.

Work began in October 2021, with Phase 1 of the project. Over the five months of this phase, work focused on dewatering the Mangamahoe Low Head Dam.

The goal was to safely lower the water levels while minimising environmental impact. Using pumps and other equipment, the reservoir was gradually drained, allowing access to the dam structures for inspection and remediation.

Given the proximity to the stream, extensive erosion and sediment control measures, such as silt fences and temporary sandbag dams, were installed.

Phase 1 was completed in March 2022, but a flood event in August 2022 accelerated the need for temporary remedial works.

Emergency work was undertaken to further lower the water levels in the reservoir to mitigate the risk of additional scour and structural damage. The bed of the reservoir was stabilised, preventing erosion and minimising the risk of further damage to the dam structures, and the crest of the dam was lowered to reduce the risk of scour and structural instability.

Phase 2 involved decommissioning and removal of dam structures.

Before deconstruction began, a fish salvage operation was undertaken. The capturing of the fish was led by Waikato University, using a boat with electrically charged prongs hanging in the water and fishnets.

Top: Photo of the dam taken around 1930.

Above: Lake Mangamahoe Low Head Dam before works began.

Top: A photo of the site taken in 2021 before work began. Left: Dewatering of the dam reservoir.

Above: An aerial photo of the site taken after the project was completed.

DREDGING SOLUTIONS

• Dredging and sludge dewatering of treatment ponds

• Pond sludge surveys

• Sludge sampling and analysis

• Digestor cleaning

• Mechanical and passive sludge dewatering expertise

The university’s electrofishing boat is the only one of its kind in the country and this method was chosen due to the high catch rates relative to effort, overall reduced stress on fish with the short handling time, as well as health and safety considerations.

Downer lifted the boat into the water by crane, while a number of hapū members assisted with the fish salvage, landbased processing of catch, and transfer to release locations.

Temporary enabling works saw the Downer team construct silt control measures, including laying geofabric and building sediment barriers to protect water quality, and collaborating with environmental experts to develop wildlife preservation strategies.

A track was made to access the upstream riffle area for reshaping. A silt fence and a temporary sandbag dam were built and a bypass pump installed.

As part of the demolition work, material was excavated from the stream bed and embankment, geofabric placed, and permanent rock work installed. Only then could the old dam’s concrete structures and spillways be demolished.

It took about two months to remove the concrete dam entirely, which was about six metres high and 32 metres wide.

Concrete rubble and blocks, such as failed spillway sections, were removed and any concrete rubble greater than 50mm in size was removed from finished earthworks surfaces.

Opposite: Damage from the August 2022 flood. Above: Fish salvage at the Low Head Dam. Waikato University’s electrofishing boat (the only one of its kind in NZ) was used for the fish salvage, prior to dam dewatering.

The decommissioning required all exposed steel to be removed from both dams and surrounding areas, including handrails and gate mechanisms. The exposed steel on any retained concrete structures was cut close to the concrete surface and all steel stumps were ground down to ensure smooth surfaces.

Permanent works to protect the stream into the future comprised constructing rock armour and armour infill for permanent rock scour protection structures.

The final stage of the project involved reinstating and rehabilitating the stream bank and bed to their natural state. This included landscaping, planting vegetation, and implementing erosion control measures to restore the site’s ecological balance and minimise environmental impact.

As part of the landscaping works, shaping, topsoiling, and grassing were carried out progressively, ensuring the finished shape matched drawings and

adjacent areas, and some 6500 native species were planted.

The project was completed at the end of February 2023.

Downer’s Lake Mangamahoe Low Head Dam project was a finalist in

Category 1 of the 2024 Civil Contractors New Zealand (CCNZ) National Awards. This article is comprised from information in the awards entry form and supplemented by a press release from New Plymouth District Council.

An aerial photo of the site mid Phase 2.

The BEAST: Next Generation Septage Receival Screens

New Zealand’s first BEAST Septage Receival Screen simplifies waste management, reducing network damage and maintenance costs while saving costs with seamless installation.

Effective waste management is crucial for cost savings and environmental sustainability. Many municipalities lack adequate screening systems, leading to network damage and high maintenance costs. The Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit (NRSBU) saw significant benefits after implementing the BEAST, the first of its kind in New Zealand, at its septage reception facility in Richmond, Tasman.

Innovative Septage Screening

The NRSBU had long struggled with an inadequate system that failed to separate solids of 6mm and above, causing deterioration to their sewerage network. Waste from vacuum trucks, dumped into an empty storage tank upstream, flowed by gravity into a pumping station where it was then

pumped to the Bell Island Treatment Plant. This process was damaging the network with rough, unscreened materials like stones, debris, and rags contributing to higher maintenance costs and operational disruptions.

The BEAST addressed these issues by allowing tankers to pump septage directly into the screen, eliminating the need for an upstream storage tank. This resulted in significant capital savings, reduced costs, and a simplified process that benefits customers.

Features & Benefits

The BEAST

• Compacts solids to 30% of original mass while reduced BOD loading from screenings minimises odour

• Dual motor drive system - drum and auger driven independently to optimise debris capture and removal

• Special two-stage tank design narrows the inlet and prevents sedimentation

• Drum screen tilted at a 25-degree angle to capture and remove debris faster

• No support arms on influent side of the drum screen eliminates accumulation of rags and wipes

Seamless Installation Saves Costs

Alternative solutions, such as relocating the septage facility, were considered but rejected due to higher costs and longer construction timelines. Instead, the BEAST’s compact design allowed for installation within the existing site, using current infrastructure and keeping capital costs low. The entire

For more details and a fly-over video of the Richmond facility in Nelson, scan the QR code.

setup, including connections to the existing gravity wastewater pipe and power supply, was completed in just two days.

A Remotely Accessible Solution

The BEAST operates automatically, eliminating the need for an on-site operator. Adjustments and controls can be managed remotely via a proprietary control panel that sends Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) telemetry signals to a centralised control centre. This allows tankers to discharge their trucks at any time, offering flexibility, reducing wait times, and streamlining the discharge process.

Trial Success Prompts Purchase

After a successful 90-day trial, the NRSBU made the BEAST a permanent fixture, and its success has led to the installation of two additional units across New Zealand.

NRSBU Operations Manager Brad Nixon says ’Feedback from the users has been positive, with the screen handling even the thickest loads. We’ve also seen a slight reduction in rag and debris conveyed to the treatment plant, and so far, a reduction in odour from the site’.

Marathon effort to improve water quality

For Pukekauri Farms’ Burke family, their efforts over the past 30-plus years to help restore and protect the health of fresh water in the region has been

“a marathon, not a sprint”, and it’s been worth every step of the journey.

Pukekauri Farms sits across the Te Mania and Waitekohekohe catchments, just four kilometres south of Katikati. Historically, Te Mania catchment has had very poor water quality, with the 300 hectare Pukekauri Farms being one of the highest contributors of sediment and E. coli

Over the past three decades, the Pukekauri team has been working in partnership with Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council to implement an environmental programme (EP) designed to improve water quality for their farm and wider community. This has also been recently supported by local community catchment group, Project Parore.

Developed in collaboration with the landowner, the EP is a management plan, that sets out actions that will help protect and restore biodiversity, conserve soil and improve water quality. These EPs not only benefit the individual landowners, but also whole communities living in the area.

Rick Burke and his then father-in-law Derry Seddon began this journey in 1984. Derry was the visionary and planted thousands of trees across the two blocks that make up Pukekauri Farms. Today, the results of those years of planting are evident.

Following Derry’s passing, Rick’s brother John bought in to the

farm in 2015 and continued the hard work Derry had started, planting vulnerable land with natives.

With assistance through their regional council EP, the beef and sheep farm has been transformed. They have fenced off 63 hectares of existing native bush and riparian zones, planted 44 hectares of steep erosion prone slopes with native plants, a further 24 hectares with exotic trees, and developed eight wetlands.

In addition to this, the productive farmland was redesigned by Rick into land management units, with increased paddock subdivision and reticulated stock water. This has dramatically improved farm management and profitability.

Rick and John say the farm’s incredible transformation is thanks to a close working relationship with their local land management officer.

“The council provided us with insight and advice as to what changes in land use were required to improve environmental outcomes and funding assistance to make that change. This has underpinned our vision and ability to complete our environmental programme,” says John.

Rick grew up in a generation where farmers believed they needed to graze every piece of land. But, after discovering the

Top left: Pukekauri Farms sits across the Te Mania and Waitekohekohe catchments, just four kilometres south of Katikati. Top: Braden Rowson and Bethany Millar of the BOP Regional Council look over the wetland with John and Rick Burke.

impact that his farm was having on the Tauranga Moana Harbour, he knew he needed to make a change. The focus now is growing more high-quality feed on the better country; in his words: “Less is more”.

“As farmers, we always want to know the ‘why’. Once we understood the impact that this was having on our fish species, particularly the parore, we knew we needed to do something,” says Rick.

“We are the first recipients of water from the Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park. Back when we started, the water quality leaving our farm was a 2/10 and now it is a 9/10. The benefits you see from this are not only for freshwater.

“While we have seen a significant improvement in our water quality and abundance of invertebrates and fish, we have also seen an increase in biodiversity. Kereru, pīwakawaka, tui, and other native birds are returning to areas we never saw them in back in the ‘90s.

“This has been greatly assisted by of our local pest management care group initiated and supported by our regional council.”

As well as the environmental benefits, John says the farm’s total pastoral enterprise profit has remained the same, if not increased. Plus, the farm now has additional carbon and exotic production tree income.

“An objective was to maintain profitability, so when we analysed the poor financial returns from the steep and wet parts of our land, it made sense to plant those marginal pastural areas into trees.”

Regional council land management officer Braden Rowson has been working with the Burkes since 2015. He says the positive impacts that their work is having on the health of the receiving environment is evidence of Pukekauri Farms wanting what’s best for the catchment and the community.

good environmental outcomes with productivity. Now, others are looking to replicate what the Burkes have done on their own properties.”

Over the years, John and Rick’s work has been recognised both regionally and nationally. Their method for planting vulnerable land into natives using a low-cost approach has also been developed into a resource by Our Land and Water to support other landowners looking to make changes on their own property.

In 2014, Pukekauri Farms was crowned supreme winner of the Ballance Bay of Plenty Environmental Awards and, recently, it was one of five recipients (alongside Project Parore) to receive a national Cawthron 2024 Freshwater Champions award.

“When the farm was purchased, it was one of the biggest contributors of sediment to the Tauranga Moana Harbour. It’s a lighthouse farm – a shining example of a farm that’s balancing

BOP Regional Council has a regular water quality monitoring programme around the region. Over the past 10 years, monitoring on the Te Mania Stream shows a reduction in ammonia and dissolved reactive phosphorus concentrations. A reduction of these nutrients helps contribute to better water quality in the waterways and the harbour.

Article provided by Bay of Plenty Regional Council

John, left, and Rick Burke.

Western U.S. agricultural communities need water conservation strategies to adapt to future shortages

The Western U.S. is heavily reliant on mountain snowpacks and their gradual melt for water storage and supply, and climate change is expected to upend the reliability of this natural process. Many agricultural communities in this part of the country are examining ways to adapt to a future with less water, and new research shows that a focus on supplementing water supply by expanding reservoir capacity won’t be enough to avert future water crises.

The study was led by scientists at the Desert Research Institute (DRI). By identifying agricultural communities considered at-risk from looming changes in snowfall and snowmelt patterns, the researchers found that water conservation measures like changes in crop type and extent were more stable adaptive strategies than changes to reservoir capacity.

By the end of the century, many areas could have less than half the water they have historically relied on to refill their reservoirs, but changing the types and extent of their crops could help by restoring an average of about 20 percent of reservoir capacity.

The research team included scientists with the diversity of expertise needed to capture the complexities of water systems while balancing concerns for locally focused adaptation.

Beatrice Gordon, lead author of the study and sociohydrologist and postdoctoral researcher at DRI, says the research is needed to inform water management at the local level, where most decisions are made.

Beatrice herself grew up on a ranch in Wyoming, where she learned first-hand the challenges that face water-insecure communities – an experience that helped lead to her research focus on agriculture and water in the Western U.S.

“A lot of decisions about water are made at the local level, but there’s this big disconnect between that reality and the macro-scale level of most research on this topic,” Beatrice says.

“We really wanted to understand what the future could look like at the scale that most communities manage their water resources. What are the levers that folks in these communities have when it comes to a future with less snow?”

Mountain snowpacks have historically acted as nature’s water towers across much of the region by storing winter precipitation and releasing it downstream during drier months. Water management systems were designed with this process in mind, but climate change is altering snowmelt patterns in ways that will make it difficult for existing systems to meet the needs of downstream water users.

As the world’s largest user of freshwater, irrigated agriculture is at particularly high risk from these changes.

Strategies for addressing water shortages that focus on augmenting supply include expanding reservoirs and replenishing groundwater with surplus water, but these approaches become less effective as the timing and availability of precipitation become more unpredictable.

In contrast, water conservation strategies such as reducing total crop acreage, periodic crop fallowing, and shifting toward higher value crops can help manage these risks.

To find out how risk management practices could work on a

community-level scale, the researchers built a comprehensive risk assessment framework based on guidance from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

For each of 13 communities, they gathered historical data on irrigation water supply, agricultural water demand, snow storage and snowmelt patterns, and more. They then used projections for the future climate through 2100 to understand how supply and demand dynamics may change in the near future.

“We gathered all these data together and looked at the picture of risk, and then also the ways that adaptation could reduce risk. Our goal was really to make this as relevant as possible for the people who are actually making decisions on the ground.”

“Dr Gordon assembled a very impressive and unprecedented dataset for this paper linking agricultural water supply and demand across the Western United States,” says study co-author Gabrielle Boisramé, assistant research professor at DRI.

The Western agricultural communities the researchers selected are located in headwaters areas, making them both subject to significant changes in future climate and sentinels for the future of the West. Several of them are located in the Upper Colorado River Basin, which feeds into the main stem of the river – a water system that supports more than 40 million people.

“A lot of these areas are providing downstream water to other communities,” Beatrice says. “So, if they have an increase in demand and a decrease in supply, it impacts not only that area, but also the areas that rely on that water downstream.”

The study results show that there will be a stark decline in how much many of these communities will be able to refill their reservoirs in just a few decades, with some seeing declines to about half of the water they were historically able to store.

A drop that significant is particularly acute in many of the smaller reservoirs that can only hold about a year’s worth of water.

“It shows how important it is to dedicate effort – now, not in 20 to 50 years – to figuring out how we, as scientists, can provide better information about water conservation. And I think that there’s an opportunity to really think about how we support communities in these efforts, especially small communities in headwaters regions that might be fully dependent on agriculture.

“Our results indicate the importance of water conservation as an adaptive strategy in a warmer future with less snow. And that’s broadly true across a lot of different places in the Western US.”

Article provided by the Desert Research Institute.

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Upwards and outwards: Can our water infrastructure cope with urban sprawl?

By Ezekiel Hudspith, partner, and Hermione Kemp, solicitor, Dentons

The Government recently announced the first stage of its ‘Going for Housing Growth’ (GFHG) programme, which is intended to “fix the housing crisis” and “flood the market” with opportunities for housing. The Programme comprises three stages, to be rolled out over the next year:

• Stage 1 – Unlocking land: Changes designed to ‘unlock’ land for development and urban growth, through amendments to the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) and the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD).

• Stage 2 – Infrastructure financing: Reforming the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Act to reduce ‘red tape’ for developers when funding infrastructure, along with targeted rates to fund greenfield developments (as opposed to council funding).

• Stage 3 – Housing performance incentives for councils: A $1 billion fund is proposed for Build-for-Growth incentive payments for councils that deliver more new housing. Importantly, the changes to the planning framework through Stage 1 will encourage councils to build outwards, as well as upwards, by removing their ability to use ‘rural-urban boundaries’ (RUBs) as a planning tool. This is a relatively significant departure from the previous Government’s focus on intensification and housing density. Other aspects of Stage 1 include:

• New Housing Growth Targets for Tier 1 councils (Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch) and Tier 2 councils (Whangarei, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Napier/ Hastings, Palmerston North, Nelson/Tasman, Queenstown and Dunedin), requiring them to enable 30 years of feasible housing capacity in their district plans;

• Strengthening the intensification provisions in the NPS-UD (particularly around ‘strategic transport corridors’);

• Greater enablement of mixed-use developments in urban areas;

• Removal of minimum floor area and balcony requirements; and

• Amendments to make the ‘medium density residential standards’ (which allow for up to three homes of up to three storeys on each site without resource consent) optional for councils.

These changes are anticipated to be in place by mid-2025, following further consultation on the detail of the proposals in early 2025.

The NPS-UD is a policy statement under the RMA which requires all councils to plan for growth and ensure a well-functioning urban environment for all people, including future generations.

The NPS-UD specifically directs Tier 1 councils to set ‘bottom lines’ for housing, and enable housing intensification in certain areas. Under the previous Government, the Spatial Planning Act (now repealed) would have provided the potential to better direct new housing into locations with the infrastructure to support it.

Now, however, the proposed amendments to the NPS-UD through GFHG may push housing development into ‘unlocked’ areas (rather than making existing urban areas denser) which councils have not previously planned for, and do not have the required infrastructure to support. This presents a multitude of issues for councils and water service providers, including how new water infrastructure can be funded to support growth, especially if it is outwards.

A growing population means growing demand for water infrastructure

There has been significant under-investment in the water infrastructure over several decades. Much of the infrastructure is old and already under pressure.

Obviously, more people in a given area means more demand for water services, adding strain on existing infrastructure like aging pipes, water treatment plants and wastewater networks. The effects of climate change are likely to add additional pressure on water infrastructure, through changing rain patterns, leading to both floods and droughts.

We have already seen the capacity of water infrastructure emerging as a handbrake on housing development, both in New Zealand and overseas. For example:

• Last year the Environment Agency in England objected to a housing development of some 50,000 homes due to water concerns, stating that the development’s water supply would pose a significant risk to the local water environment.

• In America, groundwater shortages have shut down new

Ezekiel Hudspith, partner, Dentons Hermione Kemp, solicitor, Dentons

building permits in parts of Arizona where new homes would rely on wells. A large development with thousands of homes north of Las Vegas was also shut down due to concerns over water supply.

• Closer to home, a 200-lot housing development in Greytown ground to a halt due to wastewater capacity issues. The South Wairarapa District Council stopped approving new wastewater connections due to the treatment plant being at capacity, hitting pause on development. The Council also stopped approving new wastewater connections in Martinborough last year. The capacity of water infrastructure to meet demand has recently created challenges for proposed developments in Christchurch and Taranaki, as well.

While any new housing (be it intensification or sprawl) will increase the demands on local infrastructure, the form that new development takes is important. A report commissioned by the Greater Wellington Regional Council has found a strong correlation between increased density and reduced cost for roading and three waters infrastructure on a per dwelling basis.

The May 2024 report, prepared by Sense Partners, concluded that, overall, density lowers the per-dwelling costs of infrastructure.

Some of the costs of urban sprawl can be borne by the land developer through development contributions to councils under the Local Government Act. However, development contributions are unlikely to sufficiently meet the challenge on

their own, given the need to also upgrade existing infrastructure in many cases.

The infrastructure costs associated with urban sprawl do not just relate to construction and greater land requirements –the additional infrastructure will on average also cost more to maintain, due to its longer linear length.

Funding to meet the infrastructure challenge

Overall, the planning changes introduced under Stage 1 of GFHG will increase the need for infrastructure funding. In part, that is what Stages 2 and 3 are intended to address. However, Cabinet decisions on those stages have not yet been made, meaning the details are not yet clear.

This sequencing of the policy rollout is less than ideal for water service providers: the planning changes in Stage 1 will likely result in increased demand for water infrastructure, but the funding available to manage any necessary expansions or improvements will not be made clear for some time. In addition, the blanket removal of RUBs as a planning tool could create uncertainty as to exactly where housing development will take place.

Finally, these changes are occurring at the same time as councils are due to complete their Water Services Delivery Plans (required 12 months after the passage of the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill), which at the time of writing, is expected to occur in late August.

While the key decisions have not yet been made, based on

National’s pre-election GFHG policy, it appears that those tools would include:

• Reforming the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Act (IFF Act) to standardise the process for obtaining approval for projects under the IFF Act, and introducing a standardform agreement.

• New rules for infrastructure funding and greenfield development, so that councils would be required to declare that infrastructure for new greenfield development will be funded from rates and levies applied to the new development, instead of being subsidised by others.

• Under this proposal councils would have the choice of financing infrastructure for greenfield development either on their own balance sheet or through refreshed financing tools, like the IFF Act.

• New value capture tools for central government: For example, new water infrastructure facilitating housing growth could be partly financed by levies on land unlocked by that water infrastructure.

Stage 3 of GFHG proposes a $1 billion fund for Build-forGrowth incentive payments for councils that deliver more new housing. The Government has also signalled that it would explore the idea of GST-sharing with councils on new builds.

While the details are yet to come, Housing Minister Chris Bishop has expressed a view (in a speech to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce in February) that “pricing should play a greater role in infrastructure funding”, and that infrastructure should be able to earn sufficient lifetime revenue from service charges to cover its whole-of-life costs.

Synergies with water reform?

The GFHG changes are being rolled out at the same time as the third instalment of the Government’s three waters reform ‘Local Water Done Well’ (LWDW). This too will influence the ability of councils or water service providers to respond to increased demand for water services.

The Local Government Water Services Bill is due to be introduced in December 2024, and will aim to establish ‘enduring settings for the new water services system’.

Recently released Cabinet papers provide insight on the different structure options that will be available to councils, giving them a choice as to how they deliver water services. These include:

• Direct delivery by councils – with services provided ‘inhouse’ (the status quo in most places);

– Separate council-owned water organisations, which could include:

– Water council-controlled organisations (CCOs) and water council-controlled trading organisations owned by single or multiple councils;

• Organisations owned by multiple councils, which are intended to be financially independent from a credit rating perspective;

• separate water organisations owned by consumer trusts or

with mixed ownership (by councils and consumer trusts), which are intended to be financially independent from a credit rating perspective.

Potentially, the choice that councils make in relation to this structuring question could also affect the availability or application of the GFHG tools discussed above.

The Cabinet papers also provide more detail on what financing options may be available.

New water organisations (established under the Bill) will be enabled to use the development contributions regime under the Local Government Act 2002 (as an interim measure, the GFHG programme is also considering changes to development contributions).

Water charges will also be able to be set and collected by the new water organisations, separate from their owner councils.

In addition, on August 8, 2024, the Government provided more detail on one of the financing tools that can be expected under LWDW, announcing that water CCOs will be eligible for increased lending from the Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA).

CCOs will be able to borrow up to 500 percent of their operating revenues, provided they are financially supported by parent councils and meet ‘prudent credit criteria’ (and are able to assess, set, and collect water services charges from consumers). This is twice the lending currently available to councils themselves.

The Government and the LGFA are also exploring further measures such as increasing debt limits for ‘high-growth’ councils without CCOs (potentially up to 350 percent of revenue), and also allowing lending to CCOs not supported by parent councils.

Increasing CCOs’ borrowing ability will allow more investment into water infrastructure and the borrowed amount will be able to be paid back over the lifetime of that asset.

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown indicated the Government’s expectation is that “councils will now use this certainty and the additional borrowing capacity to reduce pressure on ratepayers while being able to invest in the critical water infrastructure New Zealand needs”.

This announcement is certainly a step in the right direction, and will provide CCOs with more funding certainty to undertake the much needed upgrades to water infrastructure, including to some extent, to account for increased demand for that infrastructure associated with the GFHG changes.

It is clear that New Zealand needs more housing. Equally, we need better water infrastructure to support a growing population, particularly where that growth occurs outwards as well as upwards.

Going forward it will be important to ensure the tools proposed under both GFHG and the next LWDW Bill will work in tandem to provide local authorities the funding and certainty needed to support housing development and urban growth, while lifting the performance of water infrastructure.

Development of the National Stormwater Modelling guide

This is the abstract of a paper by Michael Arthur, Metis Consultants;

Rathika

Jebamony, Awa Environmental; and Nicci Wood, Water New Zealand

The purpose of this project was to develop a National Stormwater Modelling guide. The guide covers urban stormwater flood modelling, including streams and watercourses, but excludes major rivers except as they impact as boundary conditions on urban networks.

The scope of the guide is to provide a nationally consistent and robust urban stormwater modelling process to aid in understanding flood risk and management. It will help address differences, inconsistencies and gaps in flood risk information including modelling, flood hazard maps and variations between council approaches, design standards and policies related to flooding.

Having a holistic and consistent approach and understanding of the flood hazard in different areas provides certainty for planners, developers and engineers about the best ways to manage risk.

The national stormwater modelling guide provides a consistent framework for model planning, delivery and use for application by a diverse range of stakeholders. This paper will provide valuable insights to those who want to know more about the development process and the background thinking that informed the final guide.

Guide development was started by volunteers from the Water New Zealand Modelling Special Interest Group in 2019. The initiative was then allocated funding by the Department of Internal Affairs in late 2022 with Water New Zealand appointed as project managers and consultants engaged to complete the guide in early 2023.

The process of reviewing current practices (local and

international) began in March 2023 with a range of industry workshops and surveys delivered throughout the rest of 2023.

A literature review, gap analysis and initial guide structure was published in October 2023. A final draft was completed in December 2023 and circulated to around 180 industry volunteers for feedback.

The first edition of the guide was published in April 2024 for industry-wide use.

The work is being supported by an Advisory Group of volunteers from industry. Members include consultants, developers, local government staff, and representatives from the Ministry for the Environment and NIWA. The role of the Advisory Group is to provide feedback on work as the project progresses and ensure that the final guide is accessible, practical and cohesive for ongoing use in the wider industry.

The paper provides an overview of the first edition guide and discusses the following:

• How workshops were used to understand industry needs, ‘test’ key content and influence the final document.

• The importance of model planning – why this ended up being the longest and most complex section of the guide.

• Lessons learned in developing a system to describe stormwater model types that linked clearly with purpose and end use of results.

• The challenge of creating an accessible guide (and not a detailed specification).

To read the full paper on how the National Stormwater Modelling Guide was developed, and to view the guide itself, go to the Water New Zealand website.

Coming full circle

Completion of the last construction phase of the Puketutu Island Remediation Project in March 2024 marked the end of a decade-long marathon. Yet it is only really the start of the project’s next phase. Now, the former volcano, quarried to build Auckland Airport, will be ‘rebuilt’ using bio-solids from the nearby Mangere Wastewater Treatment Plant. In doing so, the island will go full circle, and eventually become a regional park.

Typically, biosolids have been used in landfills and as fertiliser, but now, for possibly the first time, they will be used to rebuild a volcano.

The 195 hectare Puketutu Island has a central volcanic cone with associated ash deposits (tuff) and lava flows (basalt) around the island perimeter. Extensive quarrying in the 1950s and 1960s removed around one million cubic metres of scoria and basalt rock to build Auckland Airport’s runway and Watercare’s Māngere Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Located in Manukau Harbour, much of the quarried area of the island is at or below the water table. This meant the preparation work for the remediation project was critical.

Contractor Fulton Hogan says foremost has been ensuring biosolids can be installed safely without harming the fragile harbour ecosystem, and that the leachate can be safely returned to the Māngere Wastewater Treatment plant.

The project involved rehabilitating quarried areas with biosolids to create a landform as consistent as possible with the topography prior to quarrying. The landform comprises an outer embankment within which the biosolids have been placed to create an elevated central landform.

This happened while maintaining a fully-operational facility and while construction of internal access roads occurred, allowing the biosolids to be placed in cells by the tractor/trailer units.

Above: The 195 hectare Puketutu Island has a central volcanic cone with associated ash deposits (tuff) and lava flows (basalt) around the island perimeter. Located in Manukau Harbour, much of the quarried area of the island is at or below the water table. This meant the preparation work for the remediation project was critical.

Left: An aerial shot of the project site.

Fulton Hogan says everything about Puketutu is larger than life – the timeframes included. Its story dates back 30,000 years to the volcanic eruption that formed the island.

In its second chapter some 700 years ago, it became the first home of the crew of the Tainui waka on arrival in Aotearoa. Known as Te Motu a Hiaroa to Mana Whenua, the island remains sacred to the people of Te Kawerau ā Maki, Te Waiohua, and Waikato-Tainui.

In the third chapter, between 60 and 80 years ago, the four volcanic cones that formed part of the island were quarried extensively.

Chapter four is the decade-long project that has just been completed; the extensive preparatory work that will enable the island to be a safe storage site for Auckland’s biosolid waste.

That now written, chapter five is underway. Watercare is enabling the island to eventually return to something resembling its original appearance, courtesy of more than 300 tonnes of biosolids transported there daily.

The sixth and final chapter will be the future use of Puketutu Island as a public park.

Over the past 10 years, around 3.5 million cubic metres of clean fill has been used to make the bunds, and 300,000 square metres of liner (equivalent to 60 rugby fields) now lines the cells.

At its core is a 19-metre deep pump system that captures and returns biosolid leachate to the Māngere Wastewater Treatment Plant, protecting the island’s aquifer. The liner system will protect the Manukau Harbour from contaminants.

In almost every respect, it is a project like no other.

Watercare resource recovery manager Rob Tinholt says he is unaware of “anyone doing what we’re doing”. Typically, internationally, biosolids are applied to land as a fertiliser or as a waste put in landfills. To have a monofill (sewage sludge-only landfill) of this size has required extremely careful planning and execution.

Through a review of operations, Watercare identified an opportunity to rehabilitate a retired quarry on the adjacent Puketutu Island, both improving the island’s environment and reducing the cost and transport burden of taking the stabilised biosolids, a by-product of the treatment process, to a commercial landfill.

The island’s past use created considerable challenges for construction within the consented footprint, including the need to backfill large ponds, blasting rock and various wet bins (soft compressible). Three-dimensional geological modelling by Beca helped reveal the complex underlying geology, with approximately 170 boreholes drilled over 15 years prior to construction commencing.

Historic fill had been applied in an uncontrolled manner, and the quality and strength was highly variable throughout the site – an array of waste had been dumped there over the years (including a train body), which necessitated careful assessment.

As the uncontrolled fill formed the majority of the embankments, the design allowed, as far as possible, for this fill to remain in place. Cut to form the designed facility layout, it was able to be reused, where drying was possible, to achieve the necessary quality of material to be stable under a 1/2500 AEP earthquake.

The project involved 134 separate consent conditions, from

water take, to daily dewatering, and contamination testing.

A considerable focus from the outset was archaeological. Given the destruction of the original cone through quarrying, there was considerable interest in identifying and protecting historic gardens and kumara pits around the periphery (non quarried area).

Any areas of interest were surveyed, covered in geotextile, and mapped for future study, as required.

The 10-year construction of the Puketutu Landfill infrastructure occurred over five distinct phases between March 2013 and June 2024, with additional separable portions to reflect the biosolids programme.

The phases were developed to meet Watercare’s operational demand of biosolids placement.

Phase 1 of construction arguably involved the greatest transformation of the site, with two large ponds (up to seven metres deep and with one below sea level) that had been formed during quarrying, backfilled to form the base of the landfill.

The subsequent phases 2 and 3 increased the footprint established in phase 1, utilising the temporary pumps station to control leachate levels on the liner.

The lower sections of the floor liner were at or below the ground water table, necessitating temporary wells and dewatering pumps running around the clock to avoid the ground water table flooding the work area. To deliver the lower sections of liner and structures, detailed work instructions were developed, sequencing the tasks to maximise the pumps’ effectiveness.

Above: At the core of the rehabilitation project is a 19 metre deep pump system that captures and returens biosolid lecate to the Mangere Wastewater Treatment Plant, protecting the island's aquifer.

Right: Puketutu Island, known as Week's Island at the time, photographed in the early 1900s before extensive quarrying removed much of its cones.

The phase 4 package of works completed the landfill’s basin, enabling better use of the air space available for disposing of biosolids and constructing a permanent solution for managing leachate levels outside of the footprint of the landfill.

Finally, Phase 5 was an extension to the liner footprint constructed in phases 3 and 4, requiring significant volume of imported fill to construct the permanent embankment to place an additional 13 metres of biosolids.

Project engineer Russell Green describes the project as one of the most challenging and satisfying he’s been involved in.

“There’s been a need to be flexible given its uniqueness, location, and the effects of Covid-19,” says Russell. “At times it’s been a case of looking at all the different angles and deciphering a method that’s best for what is in front of us.”

The entire site was shut down through each winter as earthworks and liner placement become unproductive. This also avoided the possibility of consent infringements and helped ensure staff’s safety. During summers the workforce peaked at 55, with typically three or four staff during winter.

Working in a former quarry provided significant geological challenges for the team. With the material varying from unweathered basalt, to weak alluvial clean fill and construction debris, the project team had seen it all as they moved 3.5 million cubic metres of material.

A key feature in the design, which enabled much of the historic fill to remain in place, was constructing a 10-metre-wide material replacement zone (MRZ) on the internal face of the perimeter embankment.

The MRZ provided confidence in the strength and behaviour of this upper/outer layer by re-using the historic fill, while controlling the quality and compaction effort required during construction.

This was designed to improve slope stability, provide a bridging or rafting layer over areas of softer or weaker soils (ie. wet bins), particularly in relation to differential settlements and liner strain and provide a layer of known cohesive soil to act as a diffusive layer of the liner.

Given that settlement of the embankments posed a big risk to the long-term integrity of the landfill, wick drains and settlement monitoring were introduced to mitigate the effect long-term settling would have on the liner.

In addition, placement of rock, soil, and geotextiles needed to ensure filter compatibility, i.e. achieving a graded fill approach from soil/rock layering so that groundwater could flow between the layers to avoid pore pressure buildup on the base of the liner.

The design also considered the risk that differential settlement would pose to the long-term performance of the liner system. The variable geotech conditions around the site would be subject to more than 36 metres of filling to achieve the final landform heights.

Excessive settlement would compromise the performance of the liner and how leachate is collected at the pump stations. Throughout the project settlement markers and piezometers have been monitored to evaluate design assumptions.

The construction challenges also included dewatering ponds which sat within highly permeable basalt and tuff zones. Not all water could be pumped due to the high recharge rates – only one of the two ponds was able to be fully pumped and backfilled in dry conditions.

To minimise the risk of backfilling in the deeper, partially saturated pond, Beca developed a methodology to ensure the backfilling could be completed safely – a graded fill approach which included the use of a sacrificial riser to continue pumping during backfill and incorporating geotextiles to bridge off the pond backfill rock blinding layer before placement of the hard fill to subgrade level.

Additionally, the ponds were backfilled well in advance of the liner being placed, which allowed monitoring of the base above the pond infills for defects prior to the placement of the liner system.

With this decade-long project now complete, the island is now able to eventually return to something resembling its original appearance, courtesy of more than 300 tonnes of biosolids transported there daily.

And one day, Auckland’s residents will be able to enjoy the beauty of the Manukau harbour as our ancestors did before the island was quarried.

Fulton Hogan’s Puketutu Island Rehabilitation Project was a finalist in Category 5 of the 2024 Civil Contractors New Zealand (CCNZ) National Awards. This article is compiled from information in the awards entry form.

Placement of rock, soil, and geotextiles needed to ensure filter compatibility, i.e. achieving a graded fill approach from soil/rock layering so that groundwater could flow between the layers to avoid pore pressure buildup on the base of the liner.

THE FULL LINE UP

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Evidence over emotion – the value of modelling combined sewer overflow impact

By Graham Moralee, senior principal network planner,

Stantec and member of the Water New Zealand modelling group. Graham’s presentation on this paper won the Best Presentation Award at the 2024 Modelling Symposium.

What are combined sewer overflows?

Combined sewer networks are commonplace in major cities and towns around the world, collecting both wastewater flows from residential and commercial properties and rainfall runoff from the urban environment.

A key feature of the combined sewer network is the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO), also known as Engineered Overflow Points in Aotearoa New Zealand, which provides a relief point for water companies to legally discharge flows into nearby water bodies during periods of heavy rainfall.

In the United Kingdom, it’s estimated there are more than 20,000 CSOs on the wastewater sewer network. Historically, CSOs have been installed for a variety of reasons, including providing flooding protection to properties and protecting key assets, such as pumping stations or wastewater treatment plants.

The majority of CSOs are permitted to operate under a defined set of criteria – usually related to periods of wet weather – by the environmental regulator. Consent to Discharge Permits typically include criteria such as a minimum pass-forward flow that must be maintained during times of spill, the location of the discharge, and the provision of screening to ensure the discharge of wastewater-related solids is limited. Consent to Discharge Permits generally don’t include a requirement to achieve a defined spill frequency, duration, or volume of discharge.

Wastewater network modelling, sewer level monitoring and in-river sampling have helped water companies understand how their assets perform in frequency and duration of operation, as well as the impact discharges have on the environment in terms of water quality. Until recently, the focus has largely been on aesthetic pollution and water quality deterioration.

What’s been done to assess CSO impact?

In 2013, the UK Government called for companies to install sewer level monitors in every CSO across the country by 2020. These monitors constantly record top water levels within CSO chambers, allowing spill frequencies to be determined. This data is made publicly available.

This was quickly followed by the publication of the Roadmap for Sewerage Infrastructure (UKWIR, 2014), which outlined the mechanism for assessing CSO spill frequency and impact. The roadmap also proposed an options development approach, which

required a Cost / Benefit appraisal of options to reduce CSO spills.

A Benefits Assessment Framework was produced in 2017, as part of a joint project between Stantec, WaterUK and the Environment Agency of England, outlining the benefits that could be achieved through schemes to improve CSO performance.

By 2018, the Storm Overflow Assessment Framework (SOAF) had been developed, providing a framework for water companies to analyse spill impact and develop options to reduce it at

Top: Sewage being discharged into a coastal estuary. Above: Wastewater being discharged into a river.

locations where the greatest level of harm was being caused.

The SOAF methodology has five key stages:

1. Identify high frequency spilling CSOs;

2. Quantify the environmental impact;

3. Assessment costs and benefits;

4. Investment decision;

5. Deliver most cost-beneficial solution.

Stantec has provided technical support to water companies in the UK, assessing hundreds of CSOs using the SOAF methodology.

Confirm the cause of spill frequency

A high frequency of operation at a CSO could be related to more than just the hydraulic conditions within the sewer network. Operational issues on the network such as blockages, accumulation of sediment, or failure of assets like pumping stations, all have the potential to increase spill frequencies at CSOs. Ensuring the level of confidence in the sewer level monitoring data is as high as possible and spills are being accurately recorded is crucial.

Comparing the sewer level monitor data with the wastewater network model predictions is key to understanding the cause of high-spill frequencies at CSOs.

Quantifying the environmental impact

The SOAF methodology requires an assessment of aesthetic and water quality impact. This can be achieved with surveys at the CSO outfall location and analysing water samples.

Water quality modelling is critical to determine the impact a CSO is having on a waterbody. The River Impact Optimisation Tool (RIOT), developed by Stantec, allows for the efficient import of river flow data and wastewater network discharge data from CSOs and wastewater treatment plants, so we can analyse impact of spills against a number of criteria.

Assessing costs and benefits of options

Options to reduce CSO spill frequency were costed using wellestablished costing tools and approaches. Typically, a water utility will have its own in-house cost databases to assess the potential costs.

We explored options developed to achieve a spill frequency of less than 40 spills per year. That frequency was used as a trigger for investigation for an individual CSO. The SOAF methodology doesn’t provide a target for spill frequency, so water companies determined their own targets.

The majority of utilities wanted to limit spills to between 10

to 30 per year. At most locations, a CSO spilling 10 times or fewer per year is highly unlikely to cause ecological harm to the receiving waterbody.

End-of-pipe storage solutions, such as offline storage tanks with a pumped return, were one option considered to achieve this target. Another was catchment surface water separation; removing rainfall runoff from the combined sewer network and using sustainable urban drainage (SuDS) measures to control flows, either by removing them completely from the combined sewer network or attenuating them in above-ground features.

Where impact on water quality was indicated from an aesthetic survey, in-river sample survey or water quality modelling, a monetised benefit value was derived using industry standards. Monetised benefits could also be quantified for the surface water separation option. The provision of a blue-green space within the community, for example, has the potential to improve air quality, the amenity value of a space, the health and well-being of the local community, and provide a habitat for native wildlife.

The determination of the cost-benefit ratio allowed for the identification of options that were considered cost-beneficial and prioritised CSO improvements that offered the best return on investment for communities.

Sewage in the news

Discharges from CSO have started making the headlines almost daily. Influential campaign groups and celebrities have been shining a light on CSO operations and making their existence public knowledge.

The general public appears to be outraged by the existence of CSOs and emotions are running high. There’s agreement within industry that the focus on CSOs is positive, but there has been some misreporting by some news outlets.

A lot of the rhetoric is around water companies “intentionally pumping raw sewage into our rivers”. Whilst there may be some instances where this happens, most of what’s being reported on is legal discharges during wet weather.

In the industry, many people are concerned this rhetoric undermines the value of the science and modelling that’s taken place to understand the real impact discharges have on the environment.

Storm overflow discharge reduction plan

The UK Government recently published the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, with a number of headline targets for companies to achieve. The most notable is that all inland CSOs must achieve no more than 10 spills per year, on average, by 2050.

Surfers Against Sewage protest wastewater pollution in the UK .

The highest priority locations – where outfalls are linked to environmentally sensitive features or protected areas – must be improved by 2035. High priority doesn’t mean overflows are causing harm, but is used to prioritise CSOs.

CSOs that discharge within one kilometre of a designated bathing water beach must achieve no more than two or three spills per bathing season (May to September), depending on their location.

For overflows that are found to be causing ecological harm, a solution appropriate for that overflow must be delivered – likely over the 10 spills per year target.

This new regulatory guidance represents the largest ever investment requirement in wastewater infrastructure, with one conservative estimate suggesting it could cost GBP£600 billion or NZ$1.2 trillion over the next 25 years. Unfortunately, it’s ratepayers who will bear the brunt of these costs.

What about the Storm Overflow Assessment Framework?

The work that was done as part of SOAF hasn’t gone to waste: it’s being used as part of the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan to ensure CSOs are not causing ecological harm.

Water quality impact assessments will need to continue for overflows that haven’t already been assessed, and where the conditions at the outfall indicate likely harm – for example, locations where there’s a low degree of dilution in the receiving waterbody.

Most water companies are making significant investments in model maintenance programmes to ensure confidence in their model libraries is as high as possible.

Some ‘easy wins’ are being identified for fast-track delivery of noregret schemes, such as smaller scale solutions and locations where there’s potential for substantial benefits.

Could this be applied in Aotearoa New Zealand?

Fortunately, the majority of Aotearoa New Zealand’s wastewater network consists of separate foul and stormwater sewers. However, there are Type 2 Engineered Overflow Points (EOP) on wastewater networks, which means we’re facing the same challenges as the UK.

A SOAF programme would offer Aotearoa considerable benefits, with councils able to identify the water quality impact of individual and clustered CSOs and invest in locations where change is needed most.

This would support the concept of Te Mana o te Wai, and specifically two of the key priorities. Firstly, it would support the prioritisation of investment where the health of freshwater and waterbodies can be most improved. Secondly, improvements to overflows would enhance the ability of communities to provide social, economic and cultural well-being for the long-term.

There is a great opportunity to draw on the evidence that has been gathered from the UK to influence improvements to CSO discharges here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

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New research tackles antibioticresistant genes in wastewater treatment plants

The extensive use of antibiotics in healthcare and agriculture has created an alarming rise in antibiotic-resistant genes and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, posing significant risks to human, animal, and environmental health.

But new research facilitated by Water Research Australia and South East Water, and led by Professor Qilin Wang from the University of Technology Sydney, has analysed how anaerobic digestion influences the fate and removal of these resistant bacteria in sludge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP).

Researchers conducted experiments using sludge from a WWTP in Melbourne to assess the impact of various anaerobic conditions on antibiotic-resistant genes and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Wang says antibiotic-resistant genes are genetic elements that can exist in microorganisms, but there are opportunities to reduce the health risks posed by working with WWTP processes.

“If microorganisms become resistant to antibiotics it will not be good for human health, as it will mean the use of antibiotics will not work as well, or at all.

“Sludge produced in WWTPs has already been recognised as a hotspot for antibiotic resistance genes. Also, in Australia, around 80 percent of sludge produced in WWTPs will be used on agricultural land. If the sludge contains antibiotic resistant genes, when we apply the sludge onto the land, those antibiotic-resistant genes end up in the soil. This poses another risk to human health, particularly if the soil is used for agricultural production.

“The overall aim of this project is to understand and reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in the anaerobic sludge digestion process.”

Temperature-phased anaerobic digestion

Wang says the first objective of the research project was to understand the fate of antibiotic resistance genes in temperaturephased anaerobic digestion (TPAD).

“TPAD is a type of anaerobic digestion process that is not very common here in Australia. In WWTPs in Australia, the most commonly used process is normal anaerobic digestion, or mesophilic anaerobic digestion, which uses a temperature of around 37 degrees.

“In comparison, TPAD consists of two parts. The first is thermophilic, which treats at about 55 degrees. The second part involves mesophilic anaerobic digestion, at around 37 degrees.

“The reason TPAD is used is not to remove antibiotic-resistant genes, but to enhance the biogas production within the treatment process. It’s about enhancing the sludge degradation in the WWTP.”

Wang says the fate of the antibiotic-resistant resident genes in the TPAD process had not yet been evaluated.

“We took samples from one WWTP in Melbourne to try to understand this process. There are plenty of antibiotic-resistant genes. I selected 10 typical ones and found that TPAD can reduce about 90 percent of those antibiotic-resistant genes in sludge.

“The first part of the process – thermophilic anaerobic digestion – reduces antibiotic-resistant genes by around 60 percent, and the second part of the process – mesophilic anaerobic digestion –reduces antibiotic-resistant genes by a further 30 percent.

“To the best of my knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the fate of antibiotic-resistant genes in the TPAD process.”

Applying free ammonia

Wang says the second objective of the research was to try to develop a technology to reduce antibiotic-resistant genes in the more commonly-used anaerobic sludge digestion process – mesophilic anaerobic digestion.

“Here, we wanted to look at normal anaerobic digestion at 37 degrees. This process already exists in many WWTPs in Australia, so we tried to develop a technology to reduce antibiotic-resistant genes in this process.

“We used free ammonia technology for this aim. We applied free ammonia to pre-treat the sludge. We then added the free ammonia pre-treated sludge into the anaerobic digester. We found that this worked to enhance the removal of antibiotic-resistant genes.

“We then tested a few antibiotic-resistant genes. Our results showed that we can further reduce antibiotic resistant genes between about 20-70 percent if we use free ammonia technology. We do not yet know why this works more effectively for some genes and less effectively for others.”

During mechanism studies, the research team tried to connect antibiotic-resistant genes with their host, which are antibioticresistant bacteria.

“We found that applying free ammonia reduced the host of the

antibiotic-resistant genes, too. This means the process killed the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This could be one of the potential reasons for the variance in effectiveness.”

Beneficial findings

By adopting these advanced treatment methods, Wang says WWTPs can play a pivotal role in safeguarding public health and preserving environmental integrity.

“In the future, when we are selecting technologies for WWTPs, we now know that in addition to the normal parameters of biogas production and degradation, we can also consider different approaches. Maybe we can consider this less common process of TPAD as a means of also helping to manage the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant genes in our sludge products.

“Another great outcome of this study is that we know that applying free ammonia is an effective approach for reducing the abundance of antibiotic-resistant genes in sludge.”

Wang says the research has showcased how well these approaches work, but future studies will be focused on optimisation to try to further enhance the removal of antibiotic-resistant genes.

“Currently, we have only shown that this technology can work, but we haven’t done a lot of optimisation yet. That’s what we plan to do next – optimise the technology to achieve better results.”

This article first appeared in Water Source. Reproduced with permission.

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Major work on Coast to Coast trail

National Park Rangers in Yorkshire Dales National Park, England, have begun laying a nearly two-mile long flagstone path across peatland in Birkdale, as part of works to make Alfred Wainwright’s ‘Coast to Coast’ route a National Trail.

It is the biggest single project ever undertaken by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s ranger service and is expected to take until early next year to complete.

The reclaimed flagstones have come fresh from a mill demolition site in Preston. Having been hauled by tractor and trailer to remote Birkdale, between Kirkby Stephen and Upper Swaledale, they were airlifted the final few hundred metres from the road to the fellside path. A helicopter pilot dropped pallet loads of flagstones every few metres.

Now a small team of three rangers are laying the flagstones.

People are still able to walk the route during the path construction. One couple from the Netherlands, Karlyn and Rorik, volunteered to have their picture taken as area ranger Michael Briggs laid out markers on White Mossy Hill.

“We are loving it, every step,” says Karlyn. “It’s nice to go coast to coast; we put our left feet in the Irish Sea and will put our right feet in the North Sea.”

Rorik says he had walked the trail with his parents in 1996, when his father had spent months in advance writing letters to accommodation providers, and was now thrilled to be doing it again, remarking that the Internet had made it

much easier to book places to stay.

The 197-mile Coast to Coast designated route – stretching across northern England from St Bees Head on the west coast to Robin Hood’s Bay on the east –is thought to be the most popular long distance walking trail in England. In 2022 the government decided to make it a National Trail.

The trail first enters the Yorkshire Dales National Park north of Orton, ducking out a mile or so west of Kirkby Stephen before entering again on moorland between Nine Standards Rigg and White Mossy Hill. It exits the National Park more than 20 miles to the east, near the town of Richmond.

Coast to Coast flagstone path works in Birkdale: Pallets of flagstones, airlifted to site, mark the trail as it passes through Birkdale.

Rangers laying the first flagstones in early August.

Member Champion for Recreation Management, Lizzy Bushby, says: “This is a massive project for us. All our rangers across the National Park are being timetabled to work on this job. The surface from White Mossy Hill is already quite badly eroded and, typically, you see people having to jump over boggy bits and

wind about looking for decent footing.

The flagstone path will help to protect the surrounding sensitive peatland habitat, designated as a Special Area for Conservation, and also give people a really enjoyable experience.”

Natural England has been given £5.6 million of Government funding to

improve the route. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is one of several partners it is working with to ensure the path meets National Trail quality standards and is fully open and available for public use.

Article and images provided by Yorkshire Dales National Park

Top: Area ranger Michael Briggs marks the way. Above: Karlyn and Rorik on White Mossy Hill with the small flags marking the way.

D-Day’s secret weapon: how wetland science stopped the Normandy landings from getting bogged down

Beneath the roar of gunfire and the chaos of D-Day, an unlikely hero played a vital role – wetland science. Often overlooked amid military strategies and troop movements, the study of mud proved critical to the success of the largest amphibious invasion in history.

By

Christian Dunn, professor in natural sciences, Bangor University.

Much has been written about the events of June 6, 1944 and the extensive planning that led up to Operation Overlord on that pivotal day. The success of the Normandy landings involved expertise from a vast array of military, espionage, engineering and communication groups. However, scientists with knowledge of sediments and substrate formation, such as peat found in bogs and fens, were also instrumental in the planning and execution of D-Day.

Following the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk during Operation Dynamo in 1940, Britain and its allies began meticulously planning for the invasion of mainland Europe. Gathering intelligence about the French coast and where the invasion would probably occur, was a vital component of these preparations.

The allies concluded that any landing site needed to be within range of their fighter aircraft, sheltered from harsh weather, and near a port to facilitate the landing of additional troops and equipment. These criteria led to the selection of the coast north of Caen in Normandy, France.

However, initial intelligence had raised concerns about whether the beaches were suitable for a successful invasion. Geological maps smuggled out of Paris by the French Resistance suggested that the beaches might be underlain by peat, which could destabilise the landing.

Staggeringly, one of these maps is believed to have dated back to Roman times, when they surveyed the entire empire for peat, as it was used as a fuel source.

Peat, a semi-decomposed organic matter that accumulates over millennia in wetland habitats, can be soft and unstable. Professor John Desmond Bernal, an important

Elements of the Mulberry (temporary and portable) harbour are still present at Arronmanches, Gold Beach, Normandy. Bottom left: Commandos of the 50th Infantry Division of the British Army coming ashore at Gold Beach, Normandy on June 6, 1944 at the start of the Invasion of Normandy. Bottom right: British commando troops landing on the Normandy beaches during D-Day.

scientific adviser to the allies, warned that the beaches might not support the heavy vehicles and equipment of the invasion force.

Aerial photography was inconclusive, so physical analysis of the beaches was deemed necessary.

The task fell to Lieutenant Commander Nigel Clogstoun-Willmott of the Royal Navy, who had expertise in covert coastal surveying. He had previously created the Combined Operations Pilotage Parties (COPP) to gather detailed information about potential landing sites earlier in the war.

A daring mission

After training and a test mission, COPP swung into action. Two commandos –24-year-old Major Logan ‘Scottie’ ScottBowden and 25-year-old Sergeant Bruce Ogden-Smith – were chosen to land covertly on the Normandy landing beach codenamed Gold Beach. Their task was to collect sediment samples.

On New Year’s Eve 1943, Scott-Bowden and Ogden-Smith swam ashore under the cover of darkness, having been dropped off by a small boat 300 metres from the French coast.

Alongside their swimming suits, rather

like modern-day dry-suits, they were equipped with a torch, compass, watch, a fighting knife and a .45 Colt revolver. They also took a soil corer, or auger, for taking soil samples and 10 tubes for storing the samples.

When they eventually reached the predetermined point on Gold Beach, they crawled in a W pattern, collecting samples. They recorded their positions on waterproof writing tablets strapped to their wrists.

When they had finished sampling the area, they waded into the surf and swam back out to sea. Reaching what they hoped was their rendezvous point, they signalled with their torches fitted with a directional cone and waterproofed with a condom until they were picked up by the rest of the COPP team.

Upon their return to England, the samples were analysed by soil and wetland scientists to determine the peat and clay content. It was crucial for assessing the suitability of the beaches as landing sites.

Over the following months, COPP surveyed many areas of the Normandy landing beaches, looking for soft clay and peat deposits. It is understood that some of the places were found to be acceptable for wheeled vehicles while other areas weren’t.

In some cases, specialised vehicles

This map shows the British and Candian beaches, and the positions at the close of D-Day.

and tanks – so-called ‘funnies’ – were specifically designed to cope with the substrate conditions detected by members of COPP. One example of this was the ‘Bobbin’ carpet layer, which laid its own path over soft clay, mud and peat.

The bravery of the COPP commandos and the application of wetland science were instrumental in ensuring the success of D-Day. Without their efforts the allies could literally have been bogged down, making them easy targets for German defences.

As Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, the allied naval commander, stated after the Normandy landings: “On these operations depends to a very great extent the final success of Operation Overlord.”

The actions of the commandos and scientists involved must not be forgotten as we honour the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Their work ensured that the beaches of Normandy could support the weight of freedom, changing the course of history.

This article first appeared in The Conversation. To read the author’s paper on this subject, go to link.springer.com/ article/10.1007/s13157-024-01820-9

Making surveying safer

By Marcus Hall, senior associate – surveying, Beca

It’s no secret that New Zealand’s three water infrastructures – drinking water, wastewater and stormwater – are aging and have suffered from insufficient investment in maintenance, asset refurbishment, and renewals. Our old and often hard-to-reach assets require more frequent surveying and inspections to ensure their continued and safe use.

Asset owners need accurate information on the condition of their assets to make the best use of ratepayer funds. However, surveyors entering deteriorating assets face significant health and safety risks, especially in underground infrastructure that’s in slow collapse mode. Often, these spaces cannot be safely accessed even with confined space protocols, due to risks of structural failure, debris, or damage.

With tight budgets in the current economic climate, how can we effectively survey our assets while keeping our surveyors safe?

Remote surveys

Aerial drones have transformed surveying practices in recent years, allowing surveyors to work safely while drones map hard-to-reach areas. However, when drones are unsuitable for confined or hazardous environments, what alternatives do we have?

Traditional survey methods have evolved over the past decade to include 3D laser scanning and other reality capture tools but remain unable to provide highly accurate measurement data and highquality imagery without endangering human lives.

The development of a robotic vehicle

Recently, when a highway structure inspector undertook a routine inspection of a 40-metre long, two-metre diameter culvert, which had significant fractures and shape distortion, it was difficult to determine the extent of the damage and detect active deformation.

Situated under a highway, this culvert provided the only access to a remote part of the coast. The inspector took a few

photos and quickly exited the culvert due to concerns about his safety. However, due to the extent and location of the damage, someone needed to go back inside and collect more information but but there was no means of gathering this data safely.

To make informed and calculated engineering decisions on next steps, actual data was needed to understand the size of the problem, the shape of the pipe, and baseline measurements to use against future measurements to understand movement over time.

We explored the development of a robotic vehicle to enter underground culverts and complete large pipe inspections. Designed for all-terrain 3D scanning and 360-degree photo capture, the six-wheeled robot named PIPE-i, enhances data collection capabilities, gives consistent and repeatable results in a digital format, at a very low cost and with almost zero human risk.

Compact and clever technology

With the help of 3D printing technology, prototype designs were rapidly iterated to enhance the functionality of the robot over time.

It was designed from the bottom up –with a sole focus to support the integration of the smallest 3D scanner on the market, the Leica BLK360. The scanner is carried in a protected cargo area, and it deploys the scanner when ready. It measures 680,000 points per second, accumulating millions

of accurate measurable points over a full survey.

The robot has an onboard autopilot module, enabling navigation and autonomous capabilities. A raspberry Pi companion computer, running Robot Operating System (ROS), acts as a mini brain for the robot, helping it understand, communicate and interact with the world around it.

The adjustable height of between 300mm to 500mm allows the robot to maintain elevation and navigate through moderately flowing culverts and minimise its profile when operating in environments where this isn’t much head room, such as underfloor spaces.

The information collected can be presented in such a way as to provide a virtual digital twin of the structure.

Improved asset management and safety for workers

Robotic technology has the ability to change how at-risk assets are inspected, how data is accessed, visualised, and analysed, aiding in the improvement of infrastructure resilience.

The robot offers several benefits:

• Eliminating confined space entry –engineers and surveyors can altogether avoid entering high-risk environments;

• Monitoring and predictive maintenance – the ability to compare point cloud data sets over time allows for the monitoring

Designed for all-terrain 3D scanning and 360-degree photo capture, the six-wheeled robot named PIPE-i, enhances data collection capabilities, gives consistent and repeatable results in a digital format, at a very low cost and with almost zero human risk.

of assets for deformation, preventing catastrophic failures, and ensuring the safety of the infrastructure, the people responsible for its maintenance, and the public that use it; and

• Resilient design – with enhanced data capture, it allows for smarter decision making in asset designs, management and maintenance.

Looking to the future

The development of a robot and systems like PIPE-i have the potential to revolutionise

confined space surveying, offering safer, more economical, and accurate solutions for gathering data in critical assets.

The future of this robot lies in creating end-to-end automated workflow for asset inspections, incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. It has become clear that autonomous operation integrated with AI is the future for these robotic systems.

Autonomous systems promise to enhance productivity, allowing surveyors and engineers to assign mundane or

hazardous tasks to robots.

The integration of such technologies is promising for AI and asset management, with automated data collection and analysis systems likely to revolutionise asset management.

This technology offers a much safer method of inspection and measurement, providing more accurate and highly visual data, giving asset managers a reliable foundation to assess asset conditions and make informed decisions on repairs or replacements.

www.agru.co.nz www.huerner.co.nz

Ph: 09 299 3640 Mob: 021 329432 @: r.gruen@xtra.co.nz