The woman in charge of Palmerston North's discharge to the Manawatu River, its water and its rubbish has resigned from the city council.

After 10 months as water and waste services manager, Louise Jones is off to Canada.

She arrived in Palmerston North after the resignation of her predecessor, Chris Pepper, in the wake of cost blow-outs at the old Awapuni landfill.

Methane gas production was falling behind targets, budgets had over-run, and the recycling plant was not working well.

"Every job has some sort of legacy," she said.

"I knew the challenges when I came in. That was one of the reasons I took the job.

"I don't look for the easy roles."

Within weeks of her arrival, the extent of alleged problems with the quality of the discharge from the Totara Rd wastewater treatment plant also became public.

Horizons Regional Council issued an abatement notice demanding the city stop its discharge from harming the river.

The city council appealed against the decision, and the two councils later withdrew the actions and embarked on a summer of water quality tests to find out what was causing the problem.

Those results have been compiled into a draft report that will be peer-reviewed before its publication.

The implications of the report for the future of the city's wastewater treatment will be a priority for her replacement, Horowhenua District Council planning and projects manager Rob Green. He begins work next month.

Ms Jones said she had intended to stay in Palmerston North for longer, but had decided to look for other opportunities because of a change in her personal circumstances.

Her new job is in Calgary, Alberta, working in water and waste services for giant international consultant Aecom, which employs 45,000 people around the world.

Yesterday was her last day with the city council.

- © Fairfax NZ News