On Wednesday 16 April, 19 members of the Nosey Parkers group enjoyed a fascinating visit to the Motueka Water Treatment Plant.
We were warmly welcomed by Daniel Noah from Tasman District Council and Kevin Parker from Downer, the contractors who help manage the plant.
We learned that there are 15 treatment plants across the region stretching from Collingwood to Murchison, all maintained by a dedicated team of just five staff.
The Motueka plant is the newest of the bunch and serves about one-third of the homes in the town – the rest rely on their own private bores.
At the Motueka plant, water is drawn from three deep bores that tap into the underground aquifers. These bores are fitted with screens to filter out rocks and other debris. From there, the water goes through a three-stage treatment process.
First, it’s naturally filtered through gravel and screened again. Next, it enters the main (and very noisy!) pump house where it’s filtered through fine cartridge filters, treated with ultraviolet (UV) light to kill germs, followed by a dose of chlorine gas to eliminate Ecoli and other harmful bacteria.
The treated water is then stored in one of eight large tanks, ready to be pumped out to homes across Motueka. Because the area is so flat, the pumps need to run continuously – hence the constant hum of the pump room. All around the plant are meters and monitors keeping track of water quality and flow.
Outside, there’s even a large rainwater collection tank designed to ease pressure on the stormwater system. The plant is fully backed up in case of maintenance or emergencies and has been designed with future growth in mind – a great example of smart, forward-thinking infrastructure.
Daniel and Kevin patiently answered all our questions, and we’re very grateful for the time they gave us. We all left with a new appreciation of where our water comes from – and how our water rates are put to good use. A big thank you to both of them for a very informative and enjoyable visit!
