August 2025 marked a milestone in the construction of Hauraki District Council’s $40 million Paeroa Wastewater Treatment Plant - at the halfway mark, it’s coming in on time and on budget.

Council’s chief executive David Speirs said that it was also equally pleasing to see the flow on effect for the local economy, with over fourteen local businesses and contractors supporting the biggest infrastructure build in Council’s history.

To celebrate the halfway mark, a barbecue lunch was hosted by the contractor, Spartan Construction for key Council staff involved in the project, followed by a site visit to view progress.

Speirs commented that the last time he was at this site the focus was on drilling and pouring hundreds of concrete piles to stabilize the ground before any building could occur, so there wasn’t much to see.

“At the 50 per cent completion mark, above ground progress is well underway with sludge tanks, filters and filter tanks all under construction. The site is really taking shape and looks great,” he said.

A spokesperson for Spartan Construction said that it’s been really challenging but they were making good progress.

“We have a great team on board from Spartan Construction, Hauraki District Council, Veolia, and other key partners. It’s enabled us to keep this complex infrastructure, including civil, structural, and mechanical and electrical engineering aspects, on track. There are lots of moving parts.”

They added: “We would also like to take the opportunity to thank all of the local businesses who have supported the project.”

The project includes the construction of a new screening system; concrete aeration tanks over six metres in height; membrane bioreactor technology; new equipment and administration buildings; 240kL sludge storage tanks; sludge dewatering; chemical dosing and numerous other ancillary structures.

Forming part of Council’s ten-year, $100 million investment in wastewater infrastructure across the district that began in 2022, this upgrade is sized to meet Paeroa’s growth needs up to 2035, in its first phase, with provisions made for stage two growth catering to 2050 requirements.

Construction will continue through to early 2026 with the new plant scheduled to be fully commissioned around mid-2026. Stay up to date with progress at letstalk.hauraki-dc.govt.nz/paeroa-waste-water-treatment-plant

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