Resource Consent CRC051724 allows the discharge of treated wastewater from the Christchurch wastewater treatment plant into the Pegasus Bay coastal marine area via an ocean outfall.

This page contains the reports provided to Environment Canterbury to comply with the resource consent.

Samples of the treated wastewater discharged via the ocean outfall are taken and analysed for a range of contaminants as shown in the table below.

Weekly Fortnightly Six monthly Annually
Temperature Nitrate nitrogen Arsenic Salmonella
pH Nitrite nitrogen Cadmium Campylobacta
Dissolved oxygen Total Kejldahl nitrogen Chromium Giardia
Five-day biochemical oxygen
demand, BOD		 Total phosphorus Copper Cryptosporidium
Filtered BOD Dissolved reactive phosphorus Lead Human enterovirus
Total suspended solids   Nickel Human adenovirus
Faecal coliforms   Zinc Organochlorine pesticides
Enterococci   Mercury Organophosphate pesticides
Escherichia coli     Polychiorinated biphenyls
Ammoniacal nitrogen     Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The resource consent contains a range of thresholds for these contaminants, which when exceeded further investigation or remedial action is required.

Environmental monitoring

Weekly water samples are taken from the following beach locations: South New Brighton Beach at Jellicoe Street, Sumner Beach at the surf club and New Brighton at the surf club. These samples are analysed for fFaecal coliforms and enterococci and again thresholds apply.

Quarterly samples of shellfish (tua tua) are obtained from South New Brighton Beach at Jellicoe Street, the south end of Rockinghorse Road and Sumner Beach at the surf club.  These are analysed for E. coli and human enterovirus.

At five yearly intervals a collection of marine sediment samples are taken. These samples are analysed for:

  • Total organic carbon
  • Total nitrogen
  • Total phosphorus
  • Arsenic
  • Cadmium
  • Chromium
  • Copper
  • Lead
  • Mercury
  • Nickel
  • Zinc

The benthic invertebrates in these samples are also surveyed. Again threshold levels apply.

Monitoring data is presented to Environment Canterbury for review at quarterly intervals.

Quarterly results and monitoring reports

Christchurch City Council monitors what’s happening at the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant to make sure that we are meeting the conditions of our resource consent.

Christchurch City Council prepares annual and quarterly reports for ECan which summarise consent compliance.

Type Report
Quarterly Monitoring Report February - April 2018 [PDF, 960 KB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report November - January 2018 [DOCX, 415 KB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report August - October 2017 [PDF, 994 KB]
Annual Annual Report 2016 - 2017 [PDF, 1.1 MB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report May - July 2017 [PDF, 888 KB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report February - April 2017 [PDF, 868 KB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report November - January 2017 [PDF, 927 KB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report August - October 2016 [PDF, 952 KB]
Annual Annual Report 2015 - 2016 [PDF, 1 MB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report May - July 2016 [DOCX, 547 KB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report February - April 2016 [PDF, 821 KB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report November - January 2016 [PDF, 932 KB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report August - October 2015 [PDF, 963 KB]
Annual Annual Report 2014 - 2015 [PDF, 1 MB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report May - July 2015 [PDF, 1.1 MB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report February - April 2015 [PDF, 263 KB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report November 2014 - January 2015 [PDF, 265 KB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report August - October 2014 [PDF, 263 KB]
Annual Annual Report 2013 - 2014 [PDF, 179 KB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report May - July 2014 [PDF, 158 KB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report February - April 2014 [PDF, 158 KB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report November - January 2014 [PDF, 159 KB]
Quarterly Monitoring Report August - October 2013 [PDF, 159 KB]
Annual  Annual Report 2012 - 2013 [PDF, 169 KB]
Quarterly  Monitoring Report May - July 2013 [PDF, 162 KB]
Quarterly  Monitoring Report February - April 2013 [PDF, 158 KB]
Annual  Annual Report 2011 - 2012 [PDF, 180 KB]
Annual Annual Report 2010 - 2011 [PDF, 209 KB]

Historical monitoring data

May 2010 - July 2010

February 2010 - April 2010

November 2009 - January 2010

August 2009 - October 2009

May - July 2009

February - April 2009

November 2008 - January 2009

August - October 2008