| 65 T T Sue Russell Wastewater facility on track Treated wastewater has been successfully redirected to the new outfall structure, enabling construction of the new plant to proceed without disrupting treatment of local wastewater. Waipa District Council: Cambridge WWTP REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Cambridge’s new and thoroughly modern wastewater treatment facility is due to be fully commissioned in 2026, the result of an extensive period of planning, stakeholder engagement and prudent financial governance on the part of Waipā District Council (WDC). Waters strategic lead, Robin Walker has been with WDC for nine years. He says the technology going into the new wastewater plant is state-of-the-art, future-proofing the district’s wastewater treatment needs for generations to come. “We’re very pleased with how this project has progressed, reaching its milestones on time. Work had to be staged very carefully, given we needed to continue to provide the town with wastewater processing throughout the transition to the new plant,” Robin says. Providing some history as to how the project came about, Robin says council was granted consent from the regional council in 2020 when requiring minor upgrades to the existing plant. “That consent was for a short time frame, but it gave us the opportunity to look at various long-term options and to confirm that Cambridge was, in fact, the best location to site any new plant.” Since June last year, treated wastewater has been successfully redirected to the new outfall structure, enabling construction of the new plant to proceed without disrupting treatment of local wastewater. The new treatment plant is, in fact, a key part of a multi-stage plan to increase processing capacity and deliver environmental gains. It is being built on a portion of the land where the original plant is situated. The pathway of developing the new treatment plant has gone very smoothly, Robin says. “We managed to work with all the stakeholders, ensuring decisions were shared, issues addressed and the Waikato River’s wellbeing was prioritised. We’re proud of the fact that there was no residual challenge on our consent to discharge into the river, the first time in memory a new large municipal wastewater consent hasn’t had to go through the Environment Court process.” Such was the smooth journey that resulted from a highly collaborative develop and consent pathway that the project received a Silver ACE Award last year for the council, its Kaitiaki group and its planning consultant GHD. It was always council’s key objective to foster shared decision making, acknowledge kaitiakitanga (guardianship) principles, honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and develop and implement co-management practices to uphold the bestfor-river outcomes under Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato (the vision and strategy for the Waikato River). “Council, the Kaitiaki group and GHD were recognised for its delivery of an outstanding RMA consenting and engagement process with a co-design framework.” Many benefits will spring from the wastewater treatment technologies embedded in the plant, including release of substantially fewer greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that occurs with the sediment pond processing systems of the past. SPIRAC® Supports the Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade The Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant has been a vital part of the community since the 1970s, treating and safely discharging wastewater to protect public health and minimize environmental impact. To meet evolving environmental standards and regulatory requirements, the Waipā District Council has launched a major upgrade to modernize the facility and enhance its efficiency. A Sustainable Future for Cambridge Located on Matos Segedin Drive, west of Cambridge township, the plant is bordered by the Waikato River to the north, with farmland and industrial sites surrounding it. Recognizing the need for sustainable and future-proofed wastewater management, the council initiated construction on the upgraded facility in late 2023. The first milestone, a new outfall discharge structure, became operational in early 2024, with full project completion expected by 2026. This transformation marks a significant investment in Cambridge's infrastructure, ensuring improved environmental compliance and a transition from land-based discharge to a more sustainable outfall system. SPIRAC’s® Advanced Wastewater Treatment Solutions SPIRAC® is proud to support this critical project by supplying cutting-edge wastewater treatment equipment designed to enhance performance and efficiency. Their contributions to the Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant include: • Three BANDGUARD™ and three FINEGUARD™ screens for superior solids removal • Two SPIROWASH® units for efficient screenings washing and compaction • One SPIROSEP® Grit Vortex and one SANDSEP for effective grit separation • One SPIROGUARD® for reliable pre-treatment • Three SPIROTAINER® units for secure screenings storage and transport • Two SPIROLINE® U conveyors (each 10 meters long) for optimized material handling By integrating SPIRAC’s® innovative solutions, the new facility will achieve higher efficiency, enhanced operational reliability, and improved environmental sustainability. SPIRAC® remains dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art wastewater treatment solutions globally. They are honored to support the Waipā District Council in this essential initiative and look forward to the successful completion of the new Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant. Together, they are building a cleaner, more sustainable future for the community and the environment.
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