Water and Waste

At our September meeting, we welcomed Mike Bourke from Christchurch City Council to our Monthly Connections Meeting. Mike answered questions about the water issues/solutions in the Halswell ward and the three waters reform. Mike is the Senior Technician, Water & Waste Planning at CCC.\nHe described what the 3 waters reform meant for Christchurch \n and for Halswell as well as issues around chlorination, water shortages, metering and charging for water.\nMike outlined the progress CCC is making on upgrading the infrastructure to try and keep chlorine out of the water and how waste and storm water are managed. As part of the discussion we also discovered that water can be dated! and that this is a crucial piece of information in the fight to keep Christchurch water free of Chlorine.

Questions.

What does the 3 waters reform mean for Halswell?

The 3 waters reform is a government initiative to ensure safe water to all New Zealanders and came into being after the Havelock North e coli incident. It amalgamates all water providers into 4 distinct entities which takes control out of the hands of elected members and effectively puts it in the hands of a company.

One issue not yet clear is who then owns the assets. Current and future citizens of a city will be paying for the assets but how will that be recognised?

What happens if the government does take this over?

This is one of the key things to work out going forward. Mike outlined that the current system was unfair as it stands as water rates are based on CV of the house not the amount of water used. The new entities and the assets will be regulated but the costs in doing this are as yet unknown. It is however unlikely to save any money.

The council have started charging for excessive water use ovr 700l a day. Its a start to make people value water but currently a single person can be paying the same for their water as a large family if the house value is the same.

How do the council charge for wastewater?

This is based on the proportion of the water used by the house.

Is Christchurch short of water?

Not currently. Christchurch draws its water from huge underground resources which have an estimated capacity of 75 million m3 . Currently we draw around 55 million m3 which is well within capacity but with continued growth we could get there.

Mike agrees with the idea that we should be paying for water in some shape or form simply so that people value it more as a resource - like they do internet, phone etc.  There are different options in this. For example households could pay for every cubic metre used or households could opt in to pay for every m3 if they think they use less than the average designated by the council in the rates. Perth has this as an option for residents.

The problem will always be the societal extremes. Some people who can’t afford it could end up with big bills.

One suggestion would be including water consumption on the rates bill so people could see how much water they actually used.

Do all the new subdivisions have water metres?

Yes. All properties have a metre. Even the older ones.

Will Christchurch water continue to be chlorinated?

Mike said he would like to think not. The problem is the national system compares apples and oranges.  Christchurch is compared to other areas who draw their water from underground, however our water comes from a very different source than Havelock North where the e. coli outbreak was down to extreme conditions and poor infrastructure.  By comparison, Christchurch water comes from deep aquifers and CCC have invested in upgrading the infrastructure to prevent this occurring. For example, bringing the well heads above ground to prevent backflow.

Some wells cant get very deep so are UV disinfected. CCC has never confirmed e. coli from the wells
Having a non return valve on every property prevents backflow into the system.
The concrete roofs on reservoirs need sealing and fixing as the concrete is porous and allows runoff into the water stored inside.
Once these upgrades are finished CCC will put forward their case to the government for no chlorine in Christchurch water. 

What about nitrates? How is CCC working with the regional council on that?

Nitrate levels are a point of discussion. Christchurch levels are currently well within guideline levels but there is research suggesting those levels are still too high. The groundwater that feeds the aquifers comes from water flowing from Halkett/West Melton and North Canterbury flowing under the Waimakiriri river

ECAN are currently looking into rising NItrate levels that could be coming from North of the Waimakiriri as high levels have been detected north of the Waimak and that water flows under the river into the Christchurch groundwater

The underground water is filtered by both abiotic and biotic systems. Natural filtration removes most suspended matter from groundwater as the water passes through porous layers of soil and rock into the aquifers. Biotic factors are affected by high levels of nitrates which is why it is so important to monitor and reduce these levels.

Snow melt does end up in the Waimakiriri but not much recharges the aquifer as once it passes Halkett the water surfaces and runs off to the sea.

Water monitoring / dating.

Mike explained that water can be dated! In order to draw from the underground water, monitoring has to show that the water in the wells is at least 2 years old. Thi sis done through carbon and tritium dating and modelling can tell where the water entered the system and when. Some of the water in the wells is 175 years old.

Water Reform Costs? The government say the reforms will save us billions. Where do the savings come from?

How will the government do the same thing as the councils and do it cheaper?

The reforms will improve water for smaller, rural centres, not for the bigger centres like cities. The reforms aim to reduce the huge gap in NZ betweenthe top and bottom of water quality and access.

The savings would presumably come from the reduced levels of management. Whether this is a good or bad thing is up for discussion.

There is so much work to do in some regions and communities that it cant possibly save money.

Ross raised concerns that Christchurch water assets are worth $6.9 Billion with $1.1 Billion in debt meaning a net worth of $5.8 billion yet the government are offering Christchurch $122 million. There is a clear inequity in the argument when other communities who have not invested in their infrastructure are being offered similar amounts of money for assets worth far far less.

Ross also questioned whether the costs paid by developers would remain in the local area as if water is no longer controlled by the local council these fees would end up elsewhere in the country. Whilst he was certain most people would not have an issue subsidising the infrastructure upgrades in rural areas for example, he though people would have an issue with selling $6.9 billion of assets for $122 million!

Another issue raised was that of stormwater. Especially in Christchurch where swales and retention basins are an integral part of the landscape, parks and green spaces. How will they be managed if the council no longer control them.

Mike agreed that there were a number of issues the government had yet to address:

Stormwater
Ownership of assets

What's going on with Stormwater in the area?

New developments are responsible for managing the stormwater that development will generate. The idea is that they develop systems to mitigate the runoff so that it would be no more that that generated by the site in its undeveloped state.

The big storm in May 2021 suggests that the mitigation works. Flooding was far less than in previous events before the retention basins and wetlands had been developed.

When developing a site the developer needs to tak into account the wider basin and the impact any building may have on that, particularly since the earthquakes raised the groundwater levels in the area..
This is why long term land use plans are so important and cant just be changed as any change of use can impact another area.

Mike suggested that every household should have a stormwater system to collect the rain off the roof and reuse it.

Any truth to the rumour that the Sutherlands retention basins are over allocated?

Mike wasn't sure about this but probably not.

 

Can you use Pressure sewage tanks to collect and pump out storm water?

No. Definitely not. This is a myth. People see the tanks and think they are for stormwater but they are only for wastewater

In TC1 areas sewers have been replaced by pressure sewage tanks which are more robust and can be pumped out if needed

 

 

Halswell and Water

Halswell is an interesting spot in terms of drainage.  

Water drains west down to Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere from some parts of the area while, from other parts of Halswell, it drains east down into the Ōpawaho Heathcote River.  Aidanfield and the areas around the Domain drain east, while Westlake, Oaklands, Country Palms, Knights Stream and Longhurst all drain west via the Huritini Halswell River.  Rain that falls around the area therefore can contribute to flooding in both directions in heavy rain.

Built environments, like the City of Christchurch, have a lot of hard, impermeable surfaces that don't allow rain to soak into the ground.  This includes roof areas, and asphalt or concrete.  The Ōpawaho Heathcote in particular has been increasingly subject to flooding from rain events as the area of impermeable surfaces has grown.  This is because it drains a lot of low lying land in the City and because our climate has changed over recent years.  We are having more droughts and fewer but bigger rain events rather than many small ones.  

The City Council is addressing this in a number of ways.  One is that for infill housing in some parts of the City, developers must put in tanks that collect water in a flood event and release it slowly after the event.  You too could assist that process by putting in rainwater tanks which can be used to water gardens, or, if you are really keen, might be plumbed into your toilet to help cut down your water use in the summer months but which fill during rain events and hold some water back.  

Another way that flooding is being managed in both directions is through the development of water retention areas.   In this, Halswell is very important, as we can see from water retention ponds and areas that fill with water when it rains.  You can see these in the Wigram Basin, around Aidanfield, in Ngā Puna Wai in the Halswell Domain and in Henderson's Basin - along either side of Sparks road and Cashmere Road.     

Water retention areas are also visible around Quaifes Road and Saby's Road, along the bottom of the Hill to the Quarry where a lot of water is held back from the Huritini Halswell River.  More will be built as development in this area continues.  Selwyn District Council is going similar work around Lincoln, Prebbleton and Tai Tapu as those areas develop.

The bonus for us here in Halswell is that we have a lot of very nice green spaces that have been and will be planted out in natives and which are great places for walking and biking.  

 

Reducing the Harm caused by Alcohol in our Communities

This article was put together by Councillor Anne Galloway and Chrys Horn.

Many of us like a drink!  The Ministry of Health writes that 85% of New Zealanders had at least one drink in the last year.  Likewise, it rates up there with essential supplies for lockdown, judging by the way New Zealanders rushed to buy it before we went into lockdown in August.

Sadly, however, when it is abused, alcohol is really harmful both for the drinkers and for people around them.  Collectively it costs us billions every year to manage the harm that it does to our health, our mental health and to our crime statistics.  In a time of lockdown the mental health benefits and the fact that alcohol lowers our immunity are both important issues.  Its effect on domestic violence is also really significant.  Worldwide, we are seeing these kinds of problems being intensified by the unusual conditions the pandemic has created.

Communities and alcohol

As such, it is important that communities are able to have some say about where and how much alcohol is sold. At the current time, however, the cards are very definitely stacked against that. 

In Halswell, David Hawke and John Bennett of the Halswell Residents Association, supported by the Community Board, have been working solidly over several years to support residents concerned about the opening of bottle stores in our local neighbourhood.  It is a herculean task that has involved many, many hours of unpaid work to prepare and appear in a court on behalf of residents to plead the case against alcohol being sold near churches, schools and preschools.  We owe them a debt of gratitude.

However we are very lucky.  Communities all through New Zealand are faced with the same issues but often with fewer resources.  Poorer communities don’t have residents who are lawyers, for example, and don’t have people who can afford the suit hire (really!) and get their heads around the way to argue their case.  On top of this, the alcohol related harm can be significantly greater in these communities.

How we can change this

For this to change, the current Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act needs to be improved so that it works with communities rather than against them, and to allow them a voice in licensing processes.

Minister Faafoi has indicated he is concerned about the impact of alcohol and is considering a review of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act.  Christchurch City Council has also been working hard on this issue.    A call has been made for organisations, groups, whānau or private citizens to send letters that ask that the review be started as soon as possible.  If you feel strongly about this issue, please consider sending a letter to the minister.  

Finally for your information : The Christchurch Alcohol Action Plan (CAAP) has been developed in response to community concern about alcohol-related harm. It provides a collective vision, strategies and actions aimed at achieving a sustained reduction in alcohol-related harm. Our vision is A safe, vibrant, healthy Christchurch, free from alcohol-related harm.  

Please get in touch with Anne if you want to know more.

Anne anne.galloway@ccc.govt.nz 0276660233

 

Tips for Sending a letter to the Minister

1) Send it via email addressed to Minister Kris Faafoi (k.faafoi@ministers.govt.nz) and Minister Andrew Little (a.little@ministers.govt.nz)  

2) Describe how alcohol has affected your life, whether in your work place or in your personal life. Use personal examples rather than clichés or broad-brush statements. 

3) Describe what you think the solutions are. You might ask for changes to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, say that the Mental Health Review called for this and perhaps also that Minister Faafoi has said he wants to improve the Act.  

4) Christchurch City Council has put together this template for a submission.  Note that putting the wording into your own words and adding your own 2c worth will increase the value of your efforts. 

 

 

 

 

 

Running your Heat Pump

 This Stuff article caught my eye this month and is well worth a read.

Some people recommend that you leave your heat pump running all the time while others swear by switching it on only when there is someone home.   It seems that the answer is that if your home is well insulated and double glazed, it is probably no more expensive to keep your heat pump running all the time. It may be worth turning the temperature down when you are not there or overnight.

However, if you live in an older home that is not so well insulated and has single glazing. It will cost you a lot more in electricity to leave your heat pump running.  The advice is to turn it off when you are not there.

If you are in doubt, then perhaps try both options for a week and see if there is a difference in your electricity usage.

 

Seeing the benefits of flood protection

By Anne Galloway and Chrys Horn

We’ve seen some big floods around New Zealand over the last couple of months – one of them right here in Canterbury in early June when record amounts of rain fell in some areas, breaking the drought that we had had up until that time. 

As our city grows, our houses get bigger and our yards get more asphalted, there are few places for the rain to go.  For those living in the lower reaches of the Ōtākaro/Avon and the Ōpāwaho /Heathcote rivers, having the water rushing off the hard surfaces and into our river systems has been increasingly problematic.  Add to that that we are a low lying city that is part of the Waimakariri River flood plain, that became even lower in places during the earthquakes and it is clear that flooding is one of our greatest risks as a city.

For some years now the Council has been putting in infrastructure to ensure good amounts of green space and water retention.  We’ve seen a lot of these facilities going in around Aidanfield, Wigram, Nga Puna Wai, Longhurst, Knights Stream, Kennedys Bush and in Hendersons Rd - Cashmere Rd - Sparks Rd area.  Some of them have also become increasingly attractive areas for walking and biking as the planting takes hold and gains height – the Quarry and the Sparks Road Wetland are examples.  Some areas are still being built.

Our last flood tested this infrastructure and over all the Council are very pleased with how the retention areas around Halswell worked.   While some flooding occurred along Sparks Road where construction of retention areas is still in progress, millions of litres of water were held back in areas where the water was meant to be held and places that often flood (Hendersons road between Sparks and Cashmere Road, for example) did not.

Along with protecting the new housing going on in the area and protecting those in the lower reaches of the Ōpāwaho Heathcote, all this development has some added amenity benefits (as the walkers and bikers in our new wetland areas will attest) and will capture a lot of sediment thus improving water quality in the Ōpāwaho river system – something that will make life better for the plants, insects, fish and eels that live in the river.