Wanganui District Council has reached a major milestone in its aim to provide soft water to city residents and Mayor Michael Laws is delighted.

"Our commitment to providing soft water has paid off with the investigations into the new bores at Westmere," Mayor Laws said.

"Water from the Abelard bore is now on stream and is being mixed with water from the existing bulk supply to achieve a significantly softer water supply.

"Not only will this provide significant benefits to users of the city water supply, including annual savings of $230 a year, it will also improve the volume in our bulk supply. This means we will be better able to cope with summer droughts."

It has taken five years to reach this point and has involved ground breaking technical and engineering work, much of which has been undertaken by local specialist companies. At just over 600m Abelard is one of the deepest bores in the Southern Hemisphere.

Stage 1 of the project sees water from Abelard bore mixed into the city supply. There will be a gradual change over the next few weeks, with softer water being provided to everyone on the city supply.

Investigations are continuing at the second Westmere bore, Heloise. Depending on the water quality, this source is due to come online in April 2010. Another bore site is also being investigated.

"This is great news for Wanganui residents who are going to have a much-improved water supply and additional cost savings and benefits from no longer having hard water ruining appliances and water cylinders."

Facts about Wanganui's water supply

Storage
Water is stored in three reservoirs at Westmere which hold 70 million litres

City water sources

• Kai Iwi (hard water source providing water for the city since 1960s) - 34 million litres per day
• Aramoho bore and treatment plant (built early 2000) – 3 million litres per day
• Abelard (new soft water source supply from November 2009) – 7 million litres per day
• Heloise (new soft water source under development)

City water demand
Average winter demand – 25 million litres per day
Average summer demand – 30 million litres per day

What is water hardness?
Hardness is the amount of calcium carbonate (lime) in the water. The current city water supply is around 180ppm-200ppm (parts per million) of calcium carbonate.

Initially the aim is to achieve less than 130ppm of calcium carbonate and it is likely to reach 100ppm during lower City water demand periods.

The hardness of the water will vary with the seasons, daily peak water demands and as a result of operational activity. However, the introduction of water from Abelard, and later Heloise, will significantly reduce the hardness of Wanganui's water supply.

Benefits of softer water
Hard water clogs fittings and hot water cylinder elements with lime scale. This results in a loss of heating efficiency in water heaters and increased consumption of soaps and detergents. It is estimated that hard water causes appliances to wear out 30% earlier than in soft water areas.

The introduction of soft water into the city supply is estimated to save households $230 per year

Wanganui's Youth Committee invites you to Picnic in the Park to be held in the Kowhai Park playground area from 11.30am to 2.30pm on Saturday, December 5.

Last year more than 800 people attended Picnic in the Park. The success of that event has led to the Picnic in the Park becoming an annual event to be held on the first Saturday in December.

The Youth Committee is promoting it as an opportunity for families to have a stress-free time together during an often stressful period. Once again, the event is supporting the Violence Intervention Network anti-violence message "It's not OK".

Bring a picnic and sunshade and enjoy the park surrounds as well as the activities provided by the Youth Committee. These will include cow pat raffle, bouncy castle, face painting, clowns, games, music and entertainers (plus a stage for anyone to show off their talents!), sausage sizzle.

On Thursday, December 10, at 12.30pm Mayor Michael Laws will officially open the newly constructed Somme Parade shared pathway, at the start of the pathway opposite Bates Street.

The 1.1km pathway took five months to construct and runs between Somme Parade and the riverbank from Dublin Street Bridge to opposite Bates Street.

The concept for the pathway was developed by architect Mark Southcombe of Void Architecture, who designed the initial boardwalk from City Bridge to the Waimarie moorings.

Mayor Michael Laws sees the new pathway as a further enhancement to making the Whanganui riverbank areas accessible to the community and visitors. The pathway is already proving to be a popular route for walkers, runners and cyclists.

Following the official opening, everyone is invited to join Mayor Laws to jog or walk the new pathway to the Dublin Street Bridge and back.

A joint initiative between the Council's youth development project Make It. Take It. and the Youth Committee will result in a mural created on the Kowhai Park skate park.

Top NZ contemporary artist Michel Tuffery, who worked with young people and the Sarjeant Gallery last year on the Gonville Umbrella Project, will work with coordinator Pam Roy of the Aerosol Art Project and youth for two days of workshops.

The design will be derived through the workshops and chatting to young people visiting the skate park. Tuffery has also been looking at the park area, the river, the culture and history of Wanganui to ensure that the mural will fit into its surrounds.

Ten young people, from a variety of youth alternative education organisations and who have an interest in art, will assist Tuffery to grid out and paint up the mural on-site. This begins on December 3 and is expected to take up to two weeks to complete.

Working with a top NZ artist and being involved in a major community project will help the young people involved to develop their skills and promote positive choices.

Not only will the mural look visually attractive to all Wanganui people and visitors, it will also reinstate a youth culture at the Skate Park, lost through many paint outs of tagging. The mural will also extend to the Dublin Street Bridge pillars on the Anzac Parade side of the Whanganui River.

Going to the Big Day Out 2010? If you're aged between 16 and 20, the WDC Youth Committee can help you get to Auckland and back safely with the "Cheapskates $20 Bus to the Big Day Out".

The $20 ticket is for the bus ride to Auckland and back only – it doesn't include a ticket to the BDO (available online), accommodation, food or other transport.

The BDO is on Friday, January 15. The bus departs from i-SITE Visitor Centre at 10.00am on Thursday, January 14, and arrives in Auckland at approximately 6.00pm. The bus departs central Auckland at 10.00am on Saturday, January 16, and arrives in Wanganui about 6.00pm. Trained youth workers Ben Mashiter and Stacey Foskett will for the third year accompany the festival-goers, and are available if required during the entire trip.

Bus tickets are only for Wanganui youth aged 16-20 years who are attending the BDO. Everyone needs to sign a form at purchase and those under 18 must have parental permission. Tickets are available from MyMusic and Cheapskates (both in Victoria Avenue).

The Youth Committee thanks major sponsor Cheapskates and supporting sponsors First Mobile, Tranzit Coachlines and Double S Motordrome.

For more info about the BDO, go to www.bigdayout.com.

Nominations are being sought for the Wanganui Sports Hall of Fame. The purpose of the Hall of Fame is to recognise sporting achievements by athletes and coaches who have made a significant impact on Wanganui's sporting heritage.

The current inductees into the Wanganui Sports Hall of Fame are:

Gary Anderson (cycling), Philippa Baker-Hogan (rowing), Ernest (Moke) Belliss (rugby), Peter Belliss (lawn bowls), Harry Cave (cricket), Ron Cheatley (cycling coach), Trevor Coker (rowing), Coleman Family - Percy, Rod and Bob (motorcycling), Arthur Holder (athletics), Alan McIntyre (hockey), Bill Osborne (rugby), Arthur Porritt (athletics), Billy Webb (rowing), Les Wilson (hockey).

To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, nominees must be from the Wanganui District, by birth or adoption, have been retired at least five years from top competition, represented New Zealand at 'senior' level and/or contributed positively to, and brought credit to, sport in the District.

Nomination forms are available at the Customer Services Counter, Municipal Office Building, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui and on this page.

Nominations close on 8 January 2010.

Details of the following vacancies are available on this page:

Library - Team Members Frontline Services (3 positions)
Applications close 7 December 2009

Health & Safety Advisor
Applications close 7 December 2009

Council – Monday, December 14
- The Council will consider any outstanding reports, along with reports direct to Council.

The meeting will be held at 3.00pm in the Council Chamber, 1st Floor, Municipal Office Building, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui.

Agendas are available at the Customer Services Counter, Municipal Office Building, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui, and the Wanganui District Library two working days prior to the meeting.