Wastewater Strategy for Tauranga

The Draft Wastewater Strategy for Tauranga sets out the major issues affecting the city’s wastewater management over the next 30 years and beyond, and identifies the actions needed to address these issues.  

Note: this is an General Manager-approved draft plan which enables the council to continue to plan and deliver quality water supply infrastructure and services to our communities, while remaining responsive to changes that may arise from the Government’s Local Water Done Well initiative. 

Executive Summary - Draft Wastewater Strategy 2024-2054(736kb pdf) Draft Wastewater Strategy 2024-2054 (1mb pdf)

The 30-year Wastewater Strategy aims to achieve sustainable, resilient, affordable, and culturally appropriate wastewater management system(s) for Tauranga. 

Tauranga’s wastewater system consists of around 1,266 km of wastewater pipes, 228 pump stations and two wastewater treatment plants (Te Maunga and Chapel Street).  In early 2023, the system serviced around 57,800 properties.  Most of Tauranga’s wastewater network was constructed in the 1970s – 1980s, and is now in the middle of its 100 year-lifecycle.  Wastewater treatment plant consents for both Te Maunga and Chapel Street expire in 2040. 

The three key wastewater issues facing Tauranga are providing for urban growth, ensuring that the infrastructure is resilient and fit-for-purpose, and working with Tangata Whenua to address long-standing concerns (particularly about the Te Maunga Wastewater Treatment Plant). 

Council is already working on a Wastewater Programme Business Case and the Our Water Future programme (show as a link to OWF explanation on ‘where we’re heading’ webpage), which are focused on establishing long-term partnerships with local iwi to jointly develop approaches to wastewater management that are sustainable, affordable, and culturally appropriate.  

Key tasks 

The key tasks that must be addressed within the strategy timeframe are:

• Continuing to develop the Tangata Whenua Partnership Programme, Community and Stakeholder Engagement Programme, and Our Water Future programme – all of which go across all three waters’ strategies and projects.
• Obtaining new consents to enable the Te Maunga and Chapel Street wastewater treatment plants to continue to treat and discharge wastewater after 2040.  This first requires us to jointly resolve the central question of how Tauranga’s wastewater will be managed in the future.
• Augmentating the ocean outfall off Pāpāmoa Beach – which is projected to reach peak flow capacity by 2034, based on current population growth projections.
• Wastewater system capacity assessment – a critical input for determining the future management of Tauranga’s wastewater.
• Biosolids management options – an important part of wastewater management as it can be a costly part of the process, and alternative end-uses (such as in energy generation or green waste processing) have the potential to significantly reduce the cost and impacts.
• Wastewater Programme Business Case – outcomes from this process will signal direction and Tangata Whenua priorities for future wastewater management decisions.

These key tasks will take into account all external challenges and opportunities, including those common to all three of our waters’ strategies, which are: climate change, natural hazards, implementing Te Mana o te Wai, urban growth and infrastructure provision, and regulatory compliance / legislative change. (Further information is provided in the where we’re heading (link) section).

You can find out more information about current projects and programmes that help deliver on our Wastewater Strategy on the Wai / Water page.

Resources

Document Library

• Executive Summary - Draft Wastewater Strategy 2024-2054 (736kb pdf)
• Draft Wastewater  Strategy 2024-2054 (2mb pdf)

Related information

• Where we’re headed (our 30-year waters plans)
• Draft Water Supply Strategy for Tauranga 
• Draft Stormwater Strategy for Tauranga
• Water Services Reform (Local Water Done Well)
• Wai / Water Services
• 2024-2034 Long-term Plan and 30-year Infrastructure Strategy
• Climate Action & Investment Plan
• Nature and Biodiversity Action & investment Plan
• Tauranga Taurikura – Environment Strategy
• Connected Centres Programme
• SmartGrowth Strategy
• Tauranga Moana Iwi Management Plan