Marton Water Supply Strategy
For many years some residents in Marton have had drinking water that occasionally changes colour and can taste unpleasant.
We’re committed to making sure Rangitīkei residents have access to consistent, high quality drinking water and this is the foundation of our Marton Water Supply Strategy.
We appreciate that the process to fix Marton’s water issues has taken much longer than people would have liked, and that includes us. After a series of unfortunate delays, rest assured we are close to completing the Marton Water Strategy project.
What is the Marton Water Strategy?
The Marton Water Supply Strategy is a $11m commitment Council has made in the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan to fund improved drinking water for Marton. This project aims to provide Marton with a fit-for-purpose and consistent water supply that will accommodate the town's growth.
To put it simply, we’re changing the source that the water supply comes from, replacing surface water from the dams with groundwater from bores. This will remove the geosmin - the main culprit of the taste and smell issues.The strategy includes the drilling of a second bore hole (which has been done) and building a new water treatment plant at the current treatment plant site (currently progressing).
The new bore will work alongside an existing bore at Tutaenui Reserve and significantly increase the volume of groundwater that can be accessed. The water accessed through these bores is much more consistent than the water from the dams, which means we can fine-tune the treatment and produce consistent, high quality drinking water all year round.
The new water treatment plant will be a state-of-the-art processing plant and will replace the existing 100-year-old water treatment plant.
Project update and next steps
A small trial treatment plant was installed and operated inside the current Marton Water Treatment Plant to test how we would treat groundwater (as opposed to just dam water). This trial has confirmed the exact kinds of equipment we will need to treat bore groundwater when it becomes Marton’s main water source.
In the next few months , we’ll be moving the trial treatment plant to the Tutaenui Reservoir Bore site to begin our final testing. We anticipate that testing water from this bore will take 8 – 12 weeks.
A shed has been built on site next to the bore, which will be used in the operation of the new bore at this site. Next to that shed is a shipping container, which has the power connections we need to operate the trial treatment plant at this location.
The project team will be erecting security fencing before the trial treatment plant is operational to ensure the safety of those exploring the reservoir and surrounds.
There is a small sampling pump on the bore that will allow the testing to proceed. The design for the permanent pump and new pipework along Tutaenui Road (which will enter the treatment plant site) is nearly complete.
We anticipate that we’ll be able to give you more updates over the next few months as work ramps up. We expect that the new water will be flowing through your taps next spring.
Why this matters
We know it's been a long journey with some delays. However, the Marton Water Strategy team is working at pace to complete this important project and future-proof Marton's drinking water for generations.
Council and Committee Reports
The following papers have been discussed in Council and Committee Meetings.
- Proposed Marton Water Supply Strategy - February 2019
- Marton Water Supply Strategy Update - May 2020
- Marton Water Supply Strategy Update - July 2021
What’s going on with the Marton Water Supply Strategy?
Check out our FAQs below to find out more.
If you have a question that is not answered below, please email your question to comms@rangitikei.govt.nz
During the dry summer months, when water consumption in town is at its highest, the water levels in the two Marton Dams drop and we experience significant algae blooms which leads to geosmin deposits in the water, which is what leads to the taste and smell. The water is treated at our Water Treatment Plant to make it safe for our people to drink. because demand for water is higher in summer, it means that the water can travel through the treatment process quicker, which means there can be higher traces of geosmin in the supply.
We regularly test samples of our drinking water. Analysis of these tests show that the water is safe to drink even though it may not look, smell or taste the way we would prefer. Often the reason why the water is brown is due to hydrant/pipe flushing, which is done regularly to remove sediment build up from the network. Running taps in the home until the water runs clear can resolve the issue.
This is an issue that relates specifically to the unique conditions that surround the Marton Dams and our current 100-year-old water treatment plant.
Right now, we have many steps in place to minimise the discolouration, taste, and odour of water in Marton. For example:
- We regularly flush our water supply pipes to ensure these are filled with fresh water
- We’re constantly adjusting the treatment process
- We mix in water from our Tūtaenui Bore (water from an underground source), so that the water we treat is better quality to start with
- We have a water filter system at the Marton RSA and Citizens’ Memorial Hall for residents to access fresh filtered water.
We’re working on a permanent fix and have invested $11m into the Marton Water Strategy to ensure that Marton has a consistent, fit for purpose supply of drinking water that will serve us now and in the future.
This means we are:
- Drilling a second borehole to access the more consistent groundwater to replace the need to use water in the dams
- Building a new water treatment plant which will cope with increased demand and better tailor treatment to the new groundwater source.
We understand this has been an ongoing issue for many residents over the years. As part of the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan, we’ve made the commitment to address these issues by investing in the Marton Water Supply Strategy to provide a higher quality and more appealing water to the residents of Marton.
We're nearing the end of the project which started in 2019, and we will keep residents updates on the the final few months and during the transition period.
The groundwater accessed through these bores is of more consistent quality than the water in the dams which means we can fine-tune the treatment and keep the drinking water consistent all year round. When the project is completed, the two bores are expected to be able to supply enough volume in groundwater that the dams will not be used for drinking water any more.
A budget of $11m to complete the work we will undertake as part of the Marton Water Supply Strategy and has been allocated as part of the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan.
The new treatment plant will replace the existing 100-year-old water treatment plant. Bore water requires different treatment than surface water, hence the need for a change. The new treatment plant will be able to cope with the increased demand and produce more consistent drinking water for the residents of Marton.
Although the water at the Marton RSA and Citizens’s Memorial Hall comes from the same dams, it is treated drinking water that goes through a series of activated carbon filters to remove differences in taste/colour.
Rangitīkei District Council are working in partnership with Manawatū District Council to deliver the project, with Wanganui Well Driller commencing drilling the second bore shortly.