Project objectives
The immediate goal of the Rāwene Working Group is to achieve wastewater that is clean before it is dispersed into the Ōmanaia Awa and Hokianga Harbour. For more information on the Rāwene Working Group go to What's happening at Rāwene.
What is the solution being installed by the working group?
The transformation project at Rāwene aims to reform wastewater management by:
1. Implementing an electrocoagulation (EC) system: This system was chosen as the preferred option by Te Mauri o te Wai (TMOTW) after a series of community hui looking at various treatment systems. While the EC system is used in a variety of wastewater and industrial processes overseas, it has not yet been used on municipal wastewater systems in Aotearoa. Government funding through the 'Better Off' initiative has made the system upgrade and testing possible for Rāwene, without impacting ratepayers.
Solar power will be installed to run the EC system and this will reduce the running costs of the EC system.
The EC and solar system are due to be installed at Te Raupo by early to mid-2025.
2. Integrating solar energy: The project includes installing a solar power system to support the EC treatment process, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and enhance sustainability.
3. Honoring cultural and environmental values: TMOTW, together with industry experts, is developing a solution that respects the historical and spiritual significance of Te Raupo, a site sacred to Hokianga hapū, by ensuring zero human waste to water.
Tirotiro (observation)
The first task of the working group is to observe how the current pond system functions. Data showed that the pond systems often did not clean the wastewater to the standard required by the resource consent. The goal of tirotiro (observation) is to provide insights on the effect of the wastewater on the surrounding environment.
Tirotiro is a collaboration between TMOTW and FNDC. It involves testing the different contaminants in the outflow from the ponds and using observations from mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), to understand the effects of the wastewater outflow on the awa and harbour.
Three months of tirotiro monitoring should provide a comprehensive insight into the effect of the wastewater on the awa and harbour. Another round of observing the output and effects on the receiving environment after the EC unit is operational should provide some meaningful comparisons. This round of observations will also guide any improvements that may be required.
This working group collaboration between TMOTW and FNDC provides an example of how mātauranga Māori and western systems of knowledge can work alongside each other for better outcomes for all. Go to our Te Ao Māori webpage for more information on tirotiro.
The Rāwene Wastewater Transformation Project is an example of hapū, community and the Far North District Council (FNDC) working together to achieve a better future for people and the taiao (environment).
In November 2023, Te Mauri o te Wai (TMOTW) marked a milestone in their journey towards removing human waste from Hokianga waters. TMOTW is a hapū-led rōpū focused on zero human waste to Hokianga, starting with improving and ultimately re-siting the Rāwene wastewater treatment system from its current site at Te Raupo.
Te Raupo has always been an extremely significant place for Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Kaharau and other Hokianga hapū, and as such, is not a place where human waste activities should be carried out.
TMOTW is working with FNDC to get the wastewater as clean as possible before it goes into the Ōmanaia Awa and the harbour.
The electrocoagulation (EC) treatment system will be installed at Te Raupo until a new site is found and the system can be moved.
In 2022 FNDC was granted “Better Off” funding to work with TMOTW to investigate an EC treatment system for the Rāwene sewage plant. These funds were a part of the Three Waters project of the government of the time. Funding included: resourcing the installation of an EC system at Rāwene; monitoring the results; and seeking an alternative location for sewage treatment.
EC was chosen as the ‘preferred option’ by TMOTW after a series of community hui looking at various treatment systems.