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 August - October 2018 [DOCX, 471 KB] |
Annual |
Annual Report 2017 - 2018 [PDF, 1.5 MB] |
Quarterly |
Monitoring Report May - July 2018 [PDF, 893 KB] |
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
May - July 2008
February - April 2008
November 2007 - January 2008
August - October 2007
May - July 2007
February - April 2007