N.P. GRANTED WATER RIGHT

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 18, 24 September 1985, Page 4

N.P. GRANTED WATER RIGHT

The Park Board has given its approval for the Taumarunui County Council to take water from a stream in the T ongariro National Park for the National Park water supply. A water right had been granted for the scheme several weeks ago by the Wanganui-Rangitikei Catchment Board but approval was needed from the Park Board to allow water to be taken from the site at the Mangahuia Stream, which crosses State Highway 47 about six kilometres to the east of National Park. This was approved at a meeting last week. The water right allows 864 cubic metres of water to be taken from the stream each day. The Lands and Survey Department was concerned about the trench and pipes which would be buried in the National Park beneath open tussock. T aumarunui County Council's consultants for the scheme, Odlin Sowry and Associates, say they do not plan any large construction in the park. "We have spent a lot of time making sure everything we will do will beveryunobstrusive," said a spokesman for Odlins, Ken Odlin. He said the pipe to be buried in the National Park would be

about 150 millimetres in diameter and would pump through a small amount of water each day. "I don't think anyone will see it," he said. Also approved by the catchment board was the right to discharge backwash water from the filter system. The Wildlife Service had been concerned that the chlorinated backwash could effect the chlorine-sensitive trout in the stream. Mr Odlin said the small amount of chlorine put into the backwash system each day to clean it (about one third of one part per million), would not harm the trout. They would just stay away from the area. However, Mr Odlin said the company had taken the Wildlife Service's comments into consideration and had modified the design so the trout would not come into contact with the chlorinated water. Mr Odhn said that environmental impact assessment of the scheme had listed options ranging in cost from $254,000 to $364,000 solely for the water supply. Cost of other structures such as the reservoir were not included in the estimate. "We looked at making certain that what we do is right. When we leave the area we do not want to leave any signs that we've been there," said Mr Odlin.