Drainage and Utility Services

Comprises Solid Waste, Water Supplies, Waste Water, and Flood Protection/ Stormwater/ Land Drainage.
Council considers the Community Outcomes included in the following drainage and utility services to be applicable to these activities. These outcomes are not, in many cases, linked directly to particular activities, but Council has endeavoured to establish links as best it can. These activities are at an individual level, and form a part of the overall target levels of service discussed in the following sections.

Solid Waste

Rationale for delivery of activity

There is a community expectation that household waste is removed from properties and managed in an environmentally sound manner.

Council has no legal requirement to carry out this activity but believes that it will better protect the environment by providing cost effective and efficient methods of refuse disposal and recycling. It is also generally expected by the community that the Council will provide this service.

Following a public consultation process, Council adopted a Zero Waste Strategy in December 2002 which set out Council’s proposals for providing refuse and recycling services throughout the District. It did however subsequently become apparent that very significant difficulties and costs would be encountered in achieving some of the objectives and targets that had been set out.

A review of Councils Solid Waste Management Strategy is therefore believed to be required, and no further significant changes to existing solid waste services will be made until such time as that review is complete.

Community Outcomes

The community is working towards producing Zero Waste to landfill by 2010.

Enhance our ‘clean, green’ image.

The rural environment is not a dumping ground.

Council contribution to Community Outcomes

Implementation of Zero Waste Strategy, once this strategy has been reviewed and updated.

Have a green waste only dump station, a recycling depot etc.

Encourage rural recycling.

Adhere to Council’s Zero-waste philosophy.

Encourage schools to use Council’s zero-waste educational resources.

Educate people to use recycling stations and promote their usage.

Encourage the appropriate disposal of farm waste, including hazardous drums, plastics and wraps and green waste.

Discourage roadside dumping.

What is the extent of Council’s responsibility?

Council’s solid waste activities comprise strategic planning, asset management and administration of contracts for delivery of refuse disposal and recycling services.

Council ensures that refuse and recycling services are available on a cost effective basis for all properties within the Otorohanga, Kawhia and Aotea Communities, and that the potential for similar services elsewhere in the District is explored.

Target Levels of Service

To develop and operate solid waste disposal and recycling services in an efficient, cost effective and environmentally responsible manner.

To work towards a progressive reduction of the quantity of solid waste going to landfill from the District

Note: These are not the target levels of service contained in the existing Solid Waste Management Strategy and Zero Waste Plan. Those targets are considered on hold pending review of these documents.

How do we measure progress?

Services delivery contracts remain efficient and cost effective.

Awareness and attitudes of residents towards ‘zero waste’ principles are progressively improved.

Quantities of waste taken from the District for landfill disposal are progressively reduced.

Achievement of compliance with Resource Consent Conditions for closed landfills.

The extent of illegal dumping is reduced.

A review of Council’s Solid Waste Management Strategy and Zero Waste Implementation Plan is undertaken.

Solid Waste Assets

Recycling centre facilities exist in Otorohanga and Kawhia, and have recently received substantial upgrading. They will continue to be progressively developed to offer an increased range of services.

Changes – demand and levels of service

In recent times the population of the District has been relatively static, following a long period of slow decline. It is considered unlikely that significant additional pressure will be placed on existing solid waste assets by growth during the next 10 years.

Very significant increases in levels of service would however be required to achieve the targets set out in Council’s Zero Waste Implementation Plan, but the difficulty and costs of such changes had been seriously underestimated. It is currently believed that a more appropriate strategy is to maintain or slowly improve existing levels of service.

Required additional asset capacity

No significant additional asset capacity is expected to be required in response to the minor changes in demand or target levels of service identified above.

Sources of Revenue

Sources of Revenue are disclosed in the Revenue and Financial policy.

Asset maintenance, renewal and replacement

Only very minor maintenance of solid waste assets is expected to be required during the period covered by the Annual Plan. Associated costs will be met by reserve funds, rates, loan monies or general funding.

Risks

Maintaining existing solid waste disposal and recycling services will not have any significant adverse social or cultural effects on the community.

Adverse economic effects may, however, result if costs of disposal or recycling are significantly increased. Very significantly higher costs would result if the community was to reaffirm a desire for achievement of radical ‘Zero Waste’ targets, but this is considered unlikely.

Increased costs may also potentially lead to adverse environmental effects by encouraging undesirable alternative waste disposal practices.

Water Supplies

Rationale for delivery of activity

To provide potable water within Council’s defined water supply areas, that meets agreed standards for quality and reasonable expectations of consumers for volume and pressure.

The Local Government Act 2002 restricts the ability of Council to discontinue provision of existing water supply activities.

Council currently owns and administers 7 potable water supply schemes, of which 5 are small rural supply schemes, which provide the majority of their water to farming operations, with less than 300 people supplied.

Information on this activity should be read in conjunction with the Assessment of Water and Sanitary Services, a copy of which is available from Council. This document further explains these services and how they have been assessed. Proposed actions are also noted within the various sections which will be completed in conjunction with the target levels and performance measures set out in this document.

It should be noted that because the Assessment of Water and Sanitary Services was completed in advance of the LTCCP some matters referred to in the former document (such as Resources Consent issues) have been satisfactorily resolved and are therefore not referred to here.

Community Outcomes

A good, clean water supply is maintained.

Infrastructure is adequate to deal with environmental issues from any development.

Facilities and services are maintained and improved in the rural and farming environment.

Council contribution to Community Outcomes

Monitor water quality.

Council to have a water management plan.

Council continues to administer rural water schemes.

What is the extent of Council’s responsibility?

Council is responsible for ensuring reliable supply of potable water to both the main communities and to those rural areas where water supply schemes have been established.

Council undertakes strategic planning, asset management, supervision of operation (carried out by contractors) and associated administrative activity, including charging for water.

Council also co-operates with the Waikato District Health Board to ensure that treated water meets relevant quality standards.

Target levels of service

Council targets the following general levels of service:

Continuous supply of adequate quantities of good quality water to all users.

Sustainable management of water resources.

Rapid effective response to supply problems.

Performance against these general levels of service is assessed based upon more specific targeted Technical Levels of Service, full details of which are contained in Council’s Water Supply Asset Management Plan.

Summary details of some of the most significant of these more specific levels of service are presented in the following table.

Council’s water supplies were last graded by the Ministry of Health in the mid 1990’s with ratings of Cc, Ec and Cc being awarded for the Otorohanga, Kawhia and Tihiroa supplies respectively against the NZ Drinking Water Standard 1995, with other rural water supplies being rated as U (unclassified). These gradings have since expired and all schemes are currently unclassified against more recent standards. Because of this, and the reluctance of communities to undertake substantial upgrading work, Council has continued to use the NZ Drinking Water Standard 1984 as an achievable target standard for all supplies.

Service Category

Service Criteria

Target Level & Measurement Method

Water Quality

Compliance with NZ Drinking water standard (1984).

.100% compliance, based on water testing results

Quantity of Water Taken

Compliance with resource consent conditions

100% compliance, based on consent reports

Flow and Pressure Adequacy – Urban Supplies

>15 l/min flow, > 200 kPa pressure (residential connections)

100% compliance from random testing.

Flow and Pressure Adequacy – Urban Supplies

Flow > 80% of peak property daily demand, >100 kPa pressure (rural supplies).

100% compliance from random testing.

Fire Fighting Capacity (Urban supplies only)

ompliance with NZ Fire Service Code of Practice

>90% compliance, based on random hydrant tests.

Frequency of Reticulation Failure

Pipe bursts annually per 10km of reticulation.

<3, based on analysis of service records and contract reports.

Contractor Work Quality

Average annual contractor performance rating.

>80%, based on average of monthly performance assessments.

Supply Reliability

Number of high priority (urgent) service requests issued annually.

<100, based on ODC and contractor service request records.

Timeliness of Contractor Response

Proportion of service requests completed within specified timeframes.

>90%, based on ODC and contractor service request records.

Responses to Public Enquiries

Respond to enquiries about water pressure or flow within 5 days.

Respond to enquiries about water pressure or flow within 10 days.

100% compliance, from Service Requester records.

100% within 3 weeks of receipt, from Service Requester records.

Water Supply Assets

Council owns water supply systems (treatment plants, reservoirs and reticulation serving the Otorohanga and Kawhia communities and the Waipa, Tihiroa, Arohena (3 separate supplies) and Ranginui rural supply areas.

Changes – demand and levels of service

Though there has been little overall growth of population in the District, there have been significant increases in demand for water in some areas served by Council administered supplies and some of these supplies are now approaching the limits of their capacity. Works to increase this capacity are therefore likely to be required within the period covered by this Annual Plan. Identified target levels of service are also expected to significantly change during this period, due to the likely introduction of legislation requiring community water supplies to comply with the provisions of the New Zealand Drinking Water Standards 2005 (DWS 2005).

Council believes that the relevant communities are generally satisfied with existing water supply arrangements, despite the failure of these supplies to meet the requirements of DWS 2005, and indeed some other previous drinking water standards.

It is however likely that compliance with DWS 2005 will become mandatory in the near future, and Council will undertake the necessary actions to achieve this compliance when it is required. Because DWS compliance dates for particular supplies are expected to be based on the number of persons connected to that supply, it is not expected that ODC’s supplies will be required to comply before 2009.

How additional asset capacity will be funded

Funding will be provided through Development Contributions and subsidy under the Ministry of the Environment’s Drinking Water Assistance Program, with the balance provided from reserve funds, rates, loan monies or general funding.

Required additional asset capacity

Significant upgrading of the water treatment systems serving the Otorohanga and Kawhia communities to address both water quantity and quality issues will be required during the next 10 years. It is also likely that all of Council’s other water treatment plants will require some upgrading to achieve compliance with DWS 2005, though the likely extent of these upgrading works is not yet clear. It is believed that for Council’s 5 small rural water schemes (which all fall into the ‘Small Water Supply‘ category under DWS 2005) may be able to achieve compliance largely through improved risk management methods with only limited upgrading of assets.

Provision of additional asset capacity

Appropriate upgrades will be designed by specialist consultants, with the physical works being undertaken by contractors.

Estimated cost of additional asset capacity

The estimated total non-inflation adjusted cost of upgrades to water supplies over the next 10 years (including upgrades to improve drinking water quality) is estimated to be $1.45 million, with the majority of this being spent on the Otorohanga and Kawhia community supplies. It is however recognised that this could be an under-estimate, if it is found that significant upgrading of assets is also required on the rural supply schemes. Further investigation work is required to clarify this.

Sources of Revenue

Sources of Revenue are disclosed in the Revenue and Financial policy.

Asset maintenance, renewal and replacement

Asset maintenance, renewal and replacement will be undertaken by contractors as required.

There has been an active program of water mains renewals in recent years and Council’s water supply assets are currently well maintained and in sound condition and no particular problems are envisaged in sustaining this situation.

Associated costs will be met by reserve funds, rates, loan monies or general funding.

Risks

Potential significant adverse effects of water supply activities are environmental (in particular the effects of water abstraction) and economic (notably the costs associated with potential required increases in water quality and/or quantity).

Because many of the water sources currently utilised are relatively small in relation to the volume of water extracted from them, there is potential for conflict to arise in respect of community outcomes requiring good environmental management of bodies of water.

Similarly the limited size of current water sources are likely to require additional sources to be developed in the future if growth-orientated community outcomes are to be achieved, which in turn may place a significant economic burden on those communities.

In some cases there is also potential for increased water supply costs to cause existing rural consumers to abandon the existing supply schemes in favour of other private supply arrangements.

Waste Water

Rationale for delivery of activity

These activities are undertaken to prevent nuisance and health risks, and to meet the expectations of residents of larger communities.

Community Outcomes

All bodies of water are returned to their original condition. They are recognised and enhanced as living ecosystems and as having cultural significance for tangata whenua (local residents/ people [of the land]).

Infrastructure is adequate to deal with environmental issues from any development.

That our countryside receives a high level of protection

What is the extent of Council’s responsibility?

Council’s wastewater activities comprise collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater from the Otorohanga Community.

Responsibilities include asset management, operation and maintenance of reticulation and treatment systems, monitoring of compliance with resource consent conditions and associated administration.

Council contribution to Community Outcomes

Manage our sewage / effluent disposal.

Address sewerage problems.

Manage our sewage/ effluent disposal.

Consider the introduction of a reticulated sewerage scheme.

Ensure that Kawhia’s septic tank systems are consistent with Environment Waikato policy.

Have adequate public toilets, parking and
bi-lingual signage in place.

Develop environmental education programmes that highlight the importance of waterways, both environmentally and culturally.

Target levels of service

Council targets the following general levels of service:

Reliable collection of wastewater from all connected properties.

Effective management of quantities and qualities of discharges to the wastewater system.

Efficient and cost effective treatment of wastewater to ensure no adverse effects on the environment.

Summary details of some of the most significant of these more specific levels of service are presented in the table below:

Service Category

Service Criteria

Target Level & Measurement Method

Availability

Proportion of allotments for which gravity sewer connections are available.

>99%, based on service records................................

Odours or other adverse aesthetic effects

Annual incidents of adverse odour.

<2, based on Service Requester records.

Environmental effects – effluent disposal & sludge management

Compliance with Resource Consent Conditions.

100% compliance based on Resource Consent reports.

Planned Service Disruption

Duration less than 8 hours.

>100% compliance, based on observ ed performance and contractor reports.

Frequency of System Failure

Frequencies of system failures affecting private properties, pump stations and other public property.

< once per 200 properties per year, < once per 5 years and < once per 10km of main per year respectively
– from Service Requester records .

Contractor Work Quality

Average annual contractor performance rating.

>80%, based on average of monthly performance assessments.

System Reliability

Number of high priority (urgent) service requests issued annually

<100, based on ODC and contractor service request records

Timeliness of Contractor Response

Proportion of service requests completed within specified timeframes

>90%, based on ODC and contractor service request records

Responses to Public Enquiries

Respond to enquiries within 5 days

100% compliance, from Service Requester records.

Wastewater Assets

Council owns the wastewater reticulation and treatment system serving Otorohanga, which comprises:

            11 pump stations

            34km of reticulation

            Oxidation Pond / Wetland treatment facility

Changes – demand and levels of service

Though there is expected to be increasing residential development activity within the Otorohanga Community it is considered unlikely that significant additional pressure will be placed on existing wastewater assets during the next 10 years.

Sources of Revenue

Sources of Revenue are disclosed in the Revenue and Financial policy.

Asset maintenance, renewal and replacement

Asset maintenance, renewal and replacement will be undertaken by contractors as required.

Council’s wastewater assets are currently well maintained and believed to be in sound condition, and no particular problems are envisaged in sustaining this situation in the future.

Associated costs will be met by reserve funds, rates, loan monies or general funding.

A shortfall in available central government funding has also recently resulted in plans for a reticulated wastewater system in Kawhia being put on hold for the foreseeable future. As such, demand for wastewater services and associated target levels of service are considered unlikely to significantly change during the period covered by the Annual Plan.

Required additional asset capacity

Recent extensive subdivision activity in the Otorohanga Community is considered to have potential to utilise most of the existing spare capacity of the waste water treatment plant, and an upgrade of this system to provide additional capacity sufficient to service a further 1000 persons has be included in the plan, to be funded in part through Development Contributions.........................................

Risks

Negative environmental effects may arise if increasing loading on the systems and/or inadequate operation and maintenance practices compromise the effectiveness of treatment processes.

Increasingly stringent resource consent or public health requirements also have potential to cause significant adverse economic impacts.

Flood Protection/ Stormwater/ Land Drainage

Rationale for delivery of activity

Council is required to administer urban drainage maintenance under the Land Drainage Act 1908. The provision of urban drainage protects private property (including land and assets) from flooding and subsequent erosion, and enables Council to fulfil its statutory responsibilities under the Building Act 1991.Environment Waikato has largely relieved Council of their responsibility for managing rural land drainage schemes.

Community Outcomes

Infrastructure is adequate to deal with environmental issues from any development.

All bodies of water are returned to their best possible condition. They are recognised and enhanced as living ecosystems and as having cultural significance for tangata whenua (local residents / people [of the land]).

That our countryside receives a high level of protection.

Council contribution to Community Outcomes

Liaise with Environment Waikato on erosion control – particularly stop banks.

Ensure Kawhia’s septic tank systems are consistent with Environment Waikato policy.

A flood protection/ control system is in place.

What is the extent of Council’s responsibility?

Council provides, develops and maintains stormwater and flood protection systems that enable effective and environmentally sustainable discharge of stormwater from the Otorohanga and Kawhia communities.

Major flooding of the Otorohanga community in 1958 led to construction of an extensive system of stop banks to protect the Community from the Waipa River. These flood protection measures continue to be managed by Council, with financial support from Environment Waikato.

Target levels of service

Council targets the following general levels of service:

Maintain risks of property flooding at acceptably low levels.

Provide rapid and effective response to stormwater system problems.

Manage stormwater discharges so as to protect the environment.

Operate and develop systems in accordance with Council’s stormwater management plans.

Target levels of service are for each year of the 10 years unless otherwise stated.

Summary details of some of the most significant of these more specific levels of service are presented in the table below:

Service Category

Service Criteria

Target Level & Measurement Method

Availability

Proportion of allotments for which gravity stormwater connections are available

>99%, based on service records

Environmental effects – stormwater discharge

Compliance with Resource Consent Conditions

100% compliance based on Resource Consent reports

Planned Service Disruption

Duration less than 8 hours

>100% compliance, based on observed performance and contractor reports.

Flooding due to Public Drainage Fault

Frequencies of system failures affecting private properties, pump stations and stopbanks

< once per 200 properties per year, < once per year and < once per 100 years respectively – from service records

Contractor Work Quality

Average annual contractor performance rating

>80%, based on average of monthly performance assessments

System Reliability

Number of high priority (urgent) service requests issued annually

<100, based on ODC and contractor service request records

Timeliness of Contractor Response

Proportion of service requests completed within specified timeframes

>90%, based on ODC and contractor service request records

Responses to Public Enquiries

Respond to enquiries within 5 days

100% compliance, from Service Requester records

Stormwater Assets

Council’s stormwater assets comprise of:

            8km of piped drains

            4km open drains

            4 pump stations

            3.5km of stop banks

Changes – demand and levels of service

Though there is expected to be increasing residential development activity within the Otorohanga and Kawhia Communities it is considered unlikely that significant additional pressure will be placed on existing stormwater, flood protection and land drainage assets during the next 10 years. It is also considered unlikely that target levels of service will significantly change during this period.

Required additional asset capacity

Only limited additional asset capacity is expected to be required in response to the minor changes in levels of demand identified above. Development Contributions will be used to fund some of this work.

Sources of Revenue

Sources of Revenue are disclosed in the Revenue and Financial policy.

Asset maintenance, renewal and replacement

Asset maintenance, renewal and replacement will be undertaken by contractors as required.

Council’s stormwater, flood protection and land drainage assets are currently well maintained and believed to be in sound condition, and no particular problems are envisaged in sustaining this situation in the future.

Associated costs will be met by reserve funds, rates, loan monies or general funding.

Risks

If not appropriately managed Council’s stormwater and flood protection activities have potential for significant adverse environmental effects, in particular:

Failure of drainage infrastructure may result in localised flooding.

Quantities and/or qualities of discharged stormwater have potential to adversely affect the receiving waters.

Increasingly stringent resource consent requirements also have potential for economic impact on the Community, though such effects would be expected to be relatively minor.

Statement of Cost of Service

2007/08

2008/09

2008/09

Annual Plan

LTCCP

Annual Plan

Variance

OPERATING INCOME

Otorohanga Rural

User Fees and Charges

426,145

452,988

443,766

(9,222)

      426,145

452,988

443,766

(9,222)

Otorohanga Community

User Fees and Charges

      234,395

223,867

260,544

36,677

Development Contributions

            37,000

-

169,000

169,000

      271,395

223,867

429,544

205,677

Kawhia Community

User Fees and Charges

        11,370

12,217

13,082

865

Development Contributions

              3,700

-

22,000

22,000

        15,070

12,217

35,082

22,865

TOTAL OPERATING INCOME

      712,610

689,071

908,392

219,320

OPERATING EXPENDITURE

Otorohanga Rural

Rural Refuse Collection

22,250

23,624

9,250

(14,374)

Water Supplies

402,171

432,026

437,119

5,093

Drainage Districts

23,150

-

5,000

5,000

      434,421

455,650

451,369

(4,281)

Otorohanga Community

Refuse Collection & Disposal

133,654

135,444

134,698

(746)

Water Supply

504,235

558,535

509,321

(49,214)

Sewerage Treatment & Reticulation

437,868

407,935

413,743

5,808

Stormwater Drainage

74,677

68,911

77,918

9,007

Flood Protection

89,395

95,037

92,362

(2,675)

1,239,829

1,265,863

1,228,042

(37,820)

Kawhia Community

Refuse Collection & Disposal

100,541

105,165

116,423

11,258

Water Supply

126,997

140,309

137,061

(3,248)

Stormwater Drainage

33,306

32,962

32,985

23

260,844

278,436

286,468

8,033

TOTAL OPERATING EXP.

1,935,094

1,999,950

1,965,879

(34,068)

OPERATING SURPLUS (DEFICIT)

(1,222,484)

(1,310,879)

(1,057,487)

(253,388)

FUNDED BY

Otorohanga District

Rates and General Funding

1,176,805

1,233,762

1,148,637

(85,125)

Transfers to/ from Reserves

          (40,700)

-

(83,000)

(83,000)

Depreciation not Funded

        36,000

40,788

36.000

(4,788)

Movement in Account Balances

50,379

36,328

(44,150)

(80,478)

   1,222,484

1,310,879

1,057,487

(253,388)

TOTAL FUNDING

   1,222,484

1,310,879

1,057,487

(253,388)

Total Expenditure includes Depreciation of:

416,880

416,880

487,618

70,738

Statement of Capital Expenditure

2007/08

2008/09

2008/09

Annual Plan

LTCCP

Annual Plan

Variance

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE

Otorohanga Rural

Renewals/ New Works

36,000

132,248

113,000

(19,248)

Loan Repayments

25,192

19,545

17,825

(1,720)

61,192

151,793

130,825

(20,968)

Otorohanga Community

Renewals/ New Works

241,500

595,665

300,000

(295,665)

Loan Repayments

147,143

166,555

150,796

(15,759)

388,643

762,220

450,796

(311,424)

Kawhia Community

Renewals/ New Works

11,500

5,420

98,300

92,880

Loan Repayments

28,816

31,430

28,816

(2,614)

40,316

36,850

127,116

90,266

TOTAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURE

490,150

950,863

708,738

(242,126)

FUNDED BY

Otorohanga District

Loans

102,200

432,400

92,000

(340,400)

Depreciation Reserves

286,685

433,860

435,026

1,166

Special Funds – Development Contributions

-

-

60,000

60,000

Rates and General Funding

101,265

84,603

121,712

37,109

490,150

950,863

708,738

(242,125)

TOTAL FUNDING

490,150

950,863

708,738

(242,125)