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24 Kohitātea 2018
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Paradise...
Local photographer Phil Benge captured this beautiful sunset recently. With January's average so far of 23.7 degrees, Eastern Bay beaches have been the place to be - day and night.
Business owners at wits end over Seaview stink by Carl McRae After years of getting nowhere regarding some form of resolution to the problem, a collection of Seaview business owners have had enough, and are banding together to get a lasting result regarding what is commonly referred to as the ‘Seaview stink’. Mike Henderson, manager of Efficient Moving and Storage in Wareham Place says that the foul odour from the Seaview Wastewater Treatment Plant in neighbouring Waterman Street is making working life unbearable. “It even permeates in through our fresh air system,” Mike says, “fills the interior of our workshop and offices and we just can’t get rid of it". Speculation as to who is responsible for regulating the malodour has always been rife, says Mike, but his research indicates that the issue lies 100 percent with Wellington Water, the company contracted to operate the plant by the
Greater Wellington Regional Council. His efforts and complaints, when contacting either of those organisations, appear to have fallen on deaf ears and he says he is usually fobbed off with excuses concerning pumping trucks within the boundaries of the plant, or miscellaneous work being carried out. “Mike is forever ringing Wellington Water,” says wife Diana, who also works for the Seaview company, “and trying to get them to sort it out. I work in the reception area and this summer in the heat and wind, it has been totally unbearable. It’s not like we can shut our roller doors as we have trucks and customers in and out at all times.” Mike disagrees with some that it's worse during the summer months, saying the smell is a constant source of irritation throughout the year, especially in a prevailing westerly wind. In 1999, Hutt Valley Water Services - a company owned by waste management company SUEZ - was engaged to design, build, operate
and maintain the new plant for 20 years, serving around 146,000 residents. Although representatives of SUEZ were unavailable for comment, their media brochure states; ‘The plant is situated in a semi-industrial area which is close to commercial properties, therefore the odour emission from the facilities was a key focus from the start of the project. Tanks and equipment that release odours are covered and ventilated, as well as the odour treatment facility to help ensure that the health and safety of the neighbours and environment in the area are not affected.’ Odour treatment bio-filters are used as part of their breakdown of wastewater process. “We appreciate it may not be a perfect science in getting it right all of the time,” says Mike, “but we are certain that more can be done to alleviate the on-going problem and the resulting conditions that we are forced to work under.”