Ohakune asks for help from growers

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 246, 14 June 1988, Page 1

Ohakune asks for help from growers

Four Ohakune carrot growers have been asked to help find ways to save Ohakune ward ratepayers from spending half a million dollars next year. At last week's Waimarino District Council Works and Reserves committee meeting, councillors and growers heard that if water use in the town continued to grow, stage one of the planned water treatment system may need to be combined with stage two and built as one project. If the operators of the four Ohakune carrot washing sheds could reduce their peak water use the implementation of stage two could be delayed, the council heard. The first stage of the water treatment system approved for Ohakune was to be the building of a filtration and ultra-violet treatment plant at a cost of $352,000. The second stage was to be a second pipeline, relocating the treatment plant and building storage tanks, total cost $546,000. Stage two would need to be built after 10-15 years by the original estimates. But the council engineers Payne Sewell Ltd now predict the water supply would be inadequate within five years which may make it necessary to combine stages one and two. There is enough water for overall demand, say the engineers but, because of the size of the pipe from the source, peak supply is limited to 42,000 gallons per hour. At present peak demand is 37,000 gph and the carrot washers are "definitely causing the peaks", say the engineers. The 37,000 gph peaks only occur during the vegetable washing season and on Tuesday s and Fridays. If carrot washing could be spread over

the week or the washing water consumption cut back, these peaks would be reduced, say the engineers. Tony Gordon, who represented Payne Sewell at the meeting, suggested meters be installed at the washing sheds to gauge the water use of the sheds. The meters may later be used, if installed, to charge growers for the amount of water used. "We need to collate as much information as possible to find out who's using what and when," said Mr Gordon. He said a possibility for reducing the peaks could be for growers to recycle their vegetable washing water, but the growers say this has been tried and caused disease. Mr Gordon asked if the disease problem had been definitely linked to the washing method.

The growers said they needed to know how much they were to be charged for their water before making decisions or suggestions. If metered water was too dear for the growers they would look at going elsewhere, they said. Councillor Bruce Thompson said it may be to council's advantage to help the growers find alternative supplies. "You've certainly put us on the firing line," said grower Frank Taylor. "We need your suggestions," said Tony Gordon. He said the council had approached the growers for help because it would be virtually impossible to limit the water use of individual people, whether visitors or residents.