Thirteen years of sewage stink, but solution in sight, says Mayor

It has been 13 years since residents on lifestyle blocks near the Gore racecourse first kicked up a stink about sewage overflowing from septic tanks, but it appears a solution may finally be in sight.

Gore District Council representatives and residents met recently to discuss the latest investigation, prompted by complaints a year ago, and a range of solutions were due to go before councillors in the next couple of months.

For years the high water table in the Racecourse Rd-Raceway Lane area has caused partly treated sewage to seep into an open roadside ditch or pond in paddocks. In 1997 a district councillor labelled the level of contamination as Third World when tests revealed it was as high as 960,000 faecal coliform units per 100ml.

In 2004 the council came up with water and sewerage upgrade options, costing residents between $3400 and $15,000, but nothing happened.

Gore District Mayor Tracy Hicks said yesterday that residents could have every confidence a solution was in sight this time.

There was a real appetite in council and in the community to deal with this problem once and for all, he said.

Gore planning consultant Keith Hovell said there was no doubt the sewage was a health risk. Nothing had been done in the past because the cost was prohibitive.

A sewerage scheme was definitely needed and there were a couple of delivery and funding options. The council's preference, at this stage, was to just take the liquid and retain the septic tanks, Mr Hovell said.

Mr Hovell and Mr Hicks denied there was any liability on the council, which issued the building consents.

The consents were issued in good faith, based on the information available at the time, Mr Hicks said.

Mr Hovell said that until now investigations had focused on septic tank maintenance whereas the latest work showed the high water table was the culprit.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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