Wanganui's successful search for soft water - 27/11/2008

Mayor Michael Laws says:

“In the four years since elected mayor, I can identify any number of improvements and projects that my council has provided for the Wanganui community.

“The Splash Centre, a revamped airport, the award-winning riverfront boardwalk, the lowest rates increases in the country, the opening of the wastewater treatment plant, the construction of the Upokongaro jetty ... all permanent additions improving the quality of life for residents of Wanganui.

“But nothing compares to today.

“The soft water project will positively affect every urban household and business ... and deliver annual savings of millions of dollars for the community. The estimated household savings will be a staggering $230 a year for every year - $2,300 a household over the next decade.

“I make no excuse for making soft water the priority of my mayoralty. I was told that finding a source, and then treating it was too difficult, too political, and too expensive.

“Well ... here we stand today to prove the naysayers wrong: because it is here, it is soft, it is plentiful, it is coming your way, and it will save you over $200 a year. That is some legacy!"

The search for a ‘soft water’ source for Wanganui’s residents and businesses has proved successful, with the discovery of an underground ‘soft water’ source close to the city’s reservoir at Westmere.

Previous councils had deemed the switch to soft water to being either too expensive or too difficult – usually both. The discovery of the water source has proved them wrong.

In 2007, a district-wide referendum confirmed the community’s desire for ‘soft water’, and a levy upon council rates of $36 was introduced in the 2007/8 financial year to fund the search that has led to today’s announcement by Mayor Laws.

“I am delighted to be able to announce the search for soft water has been successful. This is a significant discovery for the whole of Wanganui. We are building two bores - Abelard and Heloise – which will introduce ‘soft water’ into Wanganui, and save households over $200 per year, from the damage that hard water causes.

“Finding the water source means that we will be able to significantly change the way in which water is managed, moving from a volume based system to one which considers volume, power and treatment levels. Building the new bores close to the existing reservoir will enable savings in power costs – pumping water from Kai Iwi is a costly business. We will be using cutting edge technology to manage the water supply for Wanganui.

“This discovery has been made possible by the vision, expertise and energy found in the governance and management structure of Wanganui District Council.

We have done what people thought we could not do – in a proactive, cost effective and bold way – and saved money for the whole Wanganui community in the process.”

Wanganui uses an average of 30m litres of water everyday, of which around 90% is currently being met from our bores at Kai Iwi. Once the two new bores are part of the system, around half of the City’s water supply will come from them. This will have effect of softening the water supply and will also reduce the risks of running out of water, in times of drought and heavy demand.

The start date for the soft water switch-over will be 1 July 2009.

Wanganui Water Softening and Bulk Water Supply Fact Sheet