Seaview Odour Neutraliser Trial Shutdown
Following feedback from the community regarding the odour neutralisers at the Seaview Wastewater Treatment Plant, a trial shutdown will be completed from Wednesday 4th December, to Wednesday 18th December. This means that the odour neutralisers will not be active during this time.
We want to understand whether the smell is better, worse or the same as it has been before the shutdown so we can determine the best next steps.
You can provide your feedback during the trial through this survey.
You can fill in the survey as many times as you like. We recommend filling it in once a day to capture the full shutdown period.
When is the trial shutdown happening?
Wednesday 4th December, to Wednesday 18th December. Since other factors can impact the level of odour, like the weather or work being done at the wastewater treatment plant, we hope that a two-week period will capture a standard representation of the smell.
Following the two-week period, we will turn the odour neutralisers back on and continue collecting responses through the survey, This will help us establish a 'baseline'.
Why is this trial shutdown happening?
Residents have questioned how effective the odour neutralisers are in combatting the smell from Seaview Wastewater Treatment Plant, and have requested that we trial turning them off. While these odour neutralisers are considered international best practice, and are in place across the country, the community’s feedback is of genuine value, so we are undertaking this trial in respect of their concerns.
Will this make the smell worse?
That is a risk. If the smell does get considerably worse and we get feedback from the community, we are able to quickly turn the odour neutralisers back on again. Please make sure you fill out the feedback survey to let us know.
Why do we use odour neutralisers?
Odour neutralisers are in place across the country at wastewater treatment plants and landfills to reduce the smell from these sites. The Seaview Treatment Plant was not designed to be completely odourless, and these odour neutralisers are in place to reduce the impact on residents.
What happens after the trial?
The feedback provided from the community will help Wellington Water and Hutt City Council determine our next steps. We will turn the neutralisers back on following the two-week trial period, and continue collecting responses to create an understanding of your experience.
Trial Shutdown Updates
Update on 6 December 2024
The trial of the shutdown of the odour neutralisers started on December 4. The community’s participation in the survey so far has provided us with vital information to help us assess the effectiveness of the neutralisers. Early results show varying levels of impacts based on location and weather conditions which we expected.
We appreciate the challenges to pinpoint the effectiveness of the odour neutralisers during the shutdown when other operational work continues at the Seaview Wastewater Treatment Plant. However, these are critical works to bring the plant back to optimal operational performance and reduce the risk of increased odour levels over the holiday period.
We encourage residents impacted by the odour from the Plant to continue to complete the odour survey and share it with others.
The trial will run for four weeks, and we’ll provide updates every 3-4 days through the interested parties email or on our website. Thank you for your feedback and understanding.