COMPLIANCE REPORTS

Greater Wellington Regional Council is the Consent Authority and is therefore responsible for ensuring the Consent Owner (Porirua City Council) adheres to the conditions/rules of the approved consent.

For the 12 years from 2009 to 2021, Greater Wellington Regional Council has issued a rating of SIGNIFICANT or MAJOR NON-COMPLIANCE for the Porirua Wastewater Treatment Plant for the discharge of treated effluent meaning the plant is exceeding the conditions put in place to protect the environment.

The most recent Compliance Reports can be found below:
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• 1 July 2022 - 30 June 2023 - Significant non-compliance: Many consent conditions not met.
• 1 July 2021 - 30 June 2022 -  Significant non-compliance: Many consent conditions not met requiring immediate action; Greater Wellington Regional Council was not notified of an unauthorised sludge carry over incident on 19 August 2021; Abatement notice was breached by not completing a UV upgrade by 28 February 2022. On 18 May 2022 an inspection identified the new UV system was installed but not operating - 3 months after it was supposed to be up and running.
• 1 July 2020 - 30 June 2021 - Significant non-compliance: 14 bypass discharge events several of which were unauthorised; The months of October and December 2020 exceeded the consent requirements for faecal coliforms i.e. the water was contaminated with the faecal material of humans or other animals. Too much contamination can cause gastroenteritis or infections of ears, eyes, nasal cavity, skin, and the upper respiratory tract.
• 1 July 2019 - 30 June 2020 - Major non-compliance: There were more than occasional breaches of consent conditions; The flow meter measuring effluent is said to be not fit for purpose; 12 bypass / overflow events.
• 1 July 2018 - 30 June 2019 - Major non-compliance: Repeated and/or multiple breaches of consent conditions; Faecal coliform limits were exceeded in January 2019; 18 consented bypass / overflow events due to heavy rainfall; GWRC laid charges against Wellington Water Ltd who were subsequently fined $67,500 for an illegal dry weather discharge of sludge on 6 October 2018.
• 1 July 2017 - 30 June 2018 - Major non-compliance: The average discharge flow rate of 24,000 cubic metres per day was exceeded in 8 months out of 12. Increases were attributed to network improvements, wet weather over summer, and population growth.