Work on Westland Milk Products’ ocean outfall project is on schedule, despite above average rainfall in Hokitika during the West Coast’s cold and wet spring.

Discussions are also continuing with Westland District Council about whether it will use the outfall pipe to update council’s existing wastewater discharge, Westland CEO Toni Brendish said.

“Provision has been left for the project to continue without council commitment, however, if the council does take advantage of the ocean outfall pipe, the project can generate significant savings and improvements for the community,’’ Ms Brendish said.

Ms Brendish said land-based work around State Highway 6 and on Fitzherbert St in Hokitika will be suspended during the Christmas and school holiday period to prevent disruption to local highway traffic, however, tunnelling will continue along Sewell St during that period.

“We are deeply grateful for how the community has got behind the outfall project during the construction stage,’’ Ms Brendish said. “I think people recognise this is a much-needed and more sustainable option for the town.’’

A total of 1384m of pipe out of a total project pipe length of 4250.7m has been laid, representing a third of the project.

Site preparation for stage two of the project, which will tunnel under the ocean floor to a position 800m from the shoreline, will begin 100m south of council’s oxidisation treatment ponds in January.

Work on the beach-to-sea pipeline will begin in March with completion due by February 2021.

Existing discharge into the Hokitika River, where shingle build-up and erosion concerns created the need to upgrade the plant’s wastewater disposal, will end in March 2021.

A total of $26million has been budgeted for the project.

No impact on the marine environment and ocean wildlife is expected once the pipe is in full operation, with the discharge subject to external quality assurance and environmental impact monitoring.

Ms Brendish said considerable resources had been put into 10 years of planning on the project to limit impact to the community and the environment.

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