Resources
Research and a range of other sources of insight informed the development of the wastewater standards.
Technical reports
Technical advice on wastewater standards informed the proposed standards and then supported their finalisation in response to consultation.
- Technical Advice on Discharge to Land Standards
- Technical Advice on Discharge to Water Standards
- Beneficial Use of Biosolids and other Organic Materials on Land (Good Practice Guide) outbound – Water New Zealand
- Kāhu Environmental report
Database of wastewater resource consents
We developed a database of wastewater resource consents to inform the first set of wastewater standards. The consents database summarises information from resource consents regarding wastewater discharges from publicly owned and operated wastewater treatment plants and networks. This includes detail about the plants, their technology, what contaminants are controlled or monitored (and their corresponding limits) alongside other consent conditions.
The database reflects the consent information that was available when the wastewater standards were developed. We intend to keep the database updated and may expand it to include resource consents for other matters, such as discharges to air from wastewater treatment plants.
You can access the consents database here: [add link]
Case studies
Case studies, developed alongside iwi and hapū, provided insight into iwi and hapū experiences of the existing resource consenting process and wastewater treatment arrangements at six wastewater treatment plants. This input was pivotal to standard development.
- Read the case study overview report. Each individual case study is in the appendix. (Updated 18 April)
- Find out how this iwi and hapū insight informed the proposed national standards
Regulatory impacts and costs
A regulatory impact statement (RIS) provides a high-level summary of why the standards are being proposed, the options for developing standards and their associated costs and benefits, and the consultation undertaken. Costs saving estimations were informed by case studies done as part of the RIS.
- Read the interim regulatory impact statement
For small plants specifically, the Department of Internal Affairs commissioned a study through National Infrastructure Funding and Financing (NIFF) to provide examples of the impact of the proposed wastewater environmental performance standards for discharges to water (the small plant standard).
Related research and guidance
- The cost of consenting infrastructure projects in New Zealand –outbound Infrastructure New Zealand
- National stocktake of municipal wastewater treatment plants –outbound Department of Internal Affairs
- The New Zealand wastewater sector outbound– Ministry for the Environment
Technical Review Group
We established a Technical Review Group that included experts from local and regional councils, iwi and hapū, environmental scientists and the wastewater sector. View the slide packs shared with this group to guide their input here.