Tokoroa Wastewater Digester Project kicked off

Council’s largest single capital works project kicked off in July with a blessing, site clearing and initial earthworks at the existing Tokoroa Wastewater Treatment Plant site in Whakauru Street. At a budget of $9.6M, the digester is the largest component of a district wide $30 million wastewater upgrade project.

The existing digester has served the Tokoroa community well since it was commissioned in 1979, but due to technology and engineering improvements and environmental requirements, it is due for replacement. Once the new digester is completed in August next year, the existing digester may be able to be upgraded as a back-up.

“With cleaning up our waterways a primary focus of Government, resource consent requirements for wastewater discharges have become more stringent. In order to meet our obligations and consent conditions, improvements are necessary,” said Paul White, Council’s Project Manager. “The new digester will address improved environmental protection, deliver a more effective and efficient service to our community and enable growth through these efficiencies.”

What does a digester actually do? Well like the name suggests, it ‘digests’ material… human waste and other grey water solids; the nasty stuff we don’t like to think about once we flush the toilet!

Essentially it heats the contents, turning around 150 kilograms of solid waste into about 30 kilograms. It reuses the gas produced to run the digester so is a very clean and circular process.

The upgrade will also provide for improved telemetry, transfer of information, central control, system diagnostics and monitoring.

Council will be doing regular updates to via our website, social media and community newsletter In Touch.

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