Stormwater device to filter water for Turangi wetland
A stormwater filtering device being installed in Turangi’s Kohineheke Reserve will help prevent sediment, oil and debris from entering the wetland ecosystem.
The stormwater quality improvement device will be put underground on the reserve, where a main stormwater pipe runs between the central business district and Kohineheke Reserve. It will be the fourth device of its kind operating in the Taupō District.
The device creates a vortex that separates and removes contaminants from the water, resulting in cleaner water discharging. Taupō District Council’s stormwater and solid waste asset manager Brent Aitken said Kohineheke Reserve was a wetland area that would be protected and improved with the device.
“We’ve had great success with our existing devices with improved quality of discharge to the lake, so we want to expand the project to continue that," he said. “This device will collect contaminants that have flowed all the way from the central business district, which is where a lot of waste that ends up in the stormwater system comes from.”
The device was included in the Long-term Plan 2018-2028 as part of the council's commitment to looking after the environment. Enviropods are already installed in drains around Turangi that collect floating litter before it reaches the stormwater network. A second device is planned for Turangi within the next few years.
E&J Contractors will install the device and work is scheduled to begin in April or May. The contract will cost $249,000 and was approved by Taupō District Council at its meeting on Tuesday.
February 28, 2019.