Seaview plant’s objectionable smells on the way to a fix

Wednesday, 3 January 2024

Wellington Water is on its way to fixing the root cause of the smell at Seaview Water Treatment Plant in Lower Hutt after key work at the facility was completed ahead of schedule.

The work on the plant’s biofilter media was initially expected to be completed in late January, but the project team managed to fix it prior to the Christmas break.

Wellington Water general manager for network management Jeremy McKibbin praised the team for making “excellent progress” on the works.

“All the six cells of biofilter media are replaced and now commissioned.”

While there’s no guarantee that the smells from the plant will cease completely, the replaced parts are a step towards a solution.

The objectionable smells from the plant had become a concern for the upcoming Juicy Fest concert at McEwan Park, featuring top names in hip hop and R&B including Ashanti, T.I., and Bone Thugz-N-Harmony.

Wellington Water said that while the biofilter media has been replaced, it will take a short period of time to bed in and become fully functional and effective.

The works are a small first step to improve odour management, as Hutt City Council has also included $13 million of proposed upgrades and improvements in its draft Long Term Plan

Hutt City Council Mayor Campbell Barry said he was happy with the progress made by Wellington Water to get the biofilters installed.

“Addressing the odour is a priority for us and we’re pleased this part of the process is now done.

“We know it will take some time for the biofilters to bed in but we’re confident it will help with the odour issue, along with bringing forward other projects as part of our next Long-Term Plan.”

Barry thanked residents and businesses for their patience acknowledged that it had been “unpleasant and stressful” for them.