Wairoa In Focus Your Community, Your Future Journey of water from river to tap This week’s need to conserve water waters push sand and silt into the remove giardia and cryptosporidium. The trio work closely with the rest due to heavy sediment in the river system. The pumpsets are rotated It isn’t a chance thing – water quality of the operations team at council to presents an opportune time to take every month, vibration tested every is constantly monitored as it passes make sure water is flowing through a look at what kind of journey water six months, and overhauled every five through five filters, which are linked the plant, to the reservoirs and out makes before arriving in our taps. years to keep them in top shape. up to an expansive computer system. through the expansive network of Try to imagine what one billion litres Water Treatment Plant manager The plant is controlled by demand. underground pipes into households of water looks like – difficult? That’s Morgan Goldsmith said the aim is to When the reservoirs at Tawhara and and businesses. how much water passes through keep everything running as efficiently Affco get low, a message is sent to the Wairoa District Council water as possible to keep energy costs down. the computer at the plant to release treatment plant every year before “The power bill is one of the largest more water. Powerful pumps push out being dispersed to households and operating costs, so we work pretty around 14 million litres a day in the businesses hooked on to the town hard to make sure we’re getting the summer months and around 8 million supply. most efficiency for that cost,” he said. in the winter and every drop of that The process begins at the intake point Back at the water treatment plant in can be traced, more or less. At the near Frasertown. A shed on the side Frasertown is where the process gets push of a button, staff are able to bring of the road is the entrance to the really interesting. If council were to up details of what was happening at underground lair at the bottom of a serve up water directly from the river, any particular time on any given day. steep flight of stairs, where machinery some nasty bugs could potentially “We take this very seriously, of course. is hard at work sending water hurtling make their way into your cup of tea. It is our responsibility to protect through pipes up to a maximum rate Fortunately there is no chance of that people as best we can and make of 200 litres per second, although it after going through the plant. sure they have the best quality water usually sits at around 150 litres per As with most plants around the possible,” he said. second. country, the water is first injected Reports are regularly made to the New electric motors were recently with a dose of aluminium sulphate Ministry of Health, including potable installed at the intake under the a coagulant, and then crystalfloc water sample results as tested from ‘bounty scheme’ – an Electricity is added as a flocculent – in other the IANZ-accredited laboratory which Commission initiative to encourage words, all the dirt is made to stick is located on-site. energy efficiency, where old motors together and sink to the bottom of the Morgan works closely with plant are traded in and brand new ones clarifiers. operator Peter Newland, who was purchased for a fraction of the cost. This happens as water passes through recently recognised for his engineering There are eight of these operating at several tanks, after which the cleaner abilities in realigning the pump to the different points around the district, water is decanted off the top of the motor – precision work that normally two of which are located at the main clarifier. That gets rid of the dirt you involves bringing in outside expertise. intake. can see, but there are plenty of bugs Engineering cadet Karlton Karangaroa Close attention is paid to the condition invisible to the naked eye. Chlorine gas also spends a lot of time at the plant of the machines, which can get a is added to take care of microscopic – learning the ropes and providing an Water Treatment Plant Manager Morgan particularly hard time when flood nasties such as E.coli, then sand filters extra set of hands when necessary. Goldsmith under the huge sediment tanks. Omana remembered Census night draws near As Waitangi Day approaches, Wairoa 1943 won it standing as the Labour A snapshot of the people that make is used to establish decile ratings District Council remembers one of candidate, defeating Apirana Ngata, up our district will be taken on for schools receiving government the district’s more influential men of who had held it since 1905. Tuesday, March 8 when every New funding. the last century. As a politician, he raised issues Zealander fills out a census form. Forms can be filled out online or John (Jack) Ormond was born at closely identified with the Ratana The official count of how many on paper – the paper forms will be Mahia on 18 December 1891 and was movement, largely focused on people and dwellings there are in the delivered by official census collectors commonly known as Tiaki Omana. the need for longer time periods country is carried out every five years in time for March 8 and will be picked Tiaki was the fourth child of farmer to consider land claims, the poor and is used to determine how billions up soon after. George Canning Ormond and Maraea quality of Maori housing and health, of dollars of government funding is Anyone wishing to know more should Kiwiwharekete of Ngati Kahungunu. and what he considered to be the spent in the community, as well as visit www.census.govt.nz or call 0800 The family hapu was Ngati unequal and sub-standard service assisting council, community groups, CENSUS (236 787). Rongomaiwahine. His grandfather Maori soldiers experienced when iwi and businesses to plan for the was John Davies seeking assistance future. Ormond, the politician from the Rehabilitation A big focus for this year is For the diary: and superintendent of Department. He also encouraging people to complete Hawke’s Bay. recommended that the census online after receiving an Council meetings: While attending Christ’s all parliamentary Internet Access Code from the official February 8 College in Christchurch, reports and records collector. March 8 Tiaki emerged as a of proceedings be Paper forms will also be an option, April 12 dynamic rugby player, published in Maori. and all Wairoa residents will May 10 playing regularly for Tiaki served on the automatically receive an English/ June 14 Mahia. Even while Board of Native Affairs Maori form because of the high July 12 fighting in France with and was involved in Maori-speaking population. Census August 9 the New Zealand Maori the Maori taxation forms are also available in Te reo September 13 (Pioneer) Battalion he commission of 1952, Maori online. October 11 managed to play rugby, retiring from Parliament Filling in a census form is required by November 8 establishing himself as a in 1963. law – fines can be imposed on anyone December 13 highly mobile flanker. His first wife was who doesn’t participate or provides Jack Ormond (Tiaki Omana) false information. Forum dates: The young man Nellie Airini Elizabeth Statistics New Zealand keeps all the February 22 played for Tapuae and Mahia, and Perry, with whom he had twins, information confidential, so while March 22 represented Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay a girl and a boy. The couple were figures can be used, no one can be April 26 and Northern Maoris. He earned one divorced in 1922 and in Tiaki married identified. May 24 outing as an All Black in 1923, playing Polly Gemmell. Their only child, No other government department – June 28 against a touring New South Wales a daughter, died in infancy. Polly including the IRD, Children and Young July 26 team. He retired from representative died in 1949. Tiaki’s third wife was Persons Service, Income Support, August 23 rugby in 1925 but maintained an a widow, Rangiwhakio Rarere (née or even the Police, can see anyone’s September 27 active interest in the sport as an Kemara). They married in1962, but answers. October 25 administrator. Rangiwhakio died that same year. No question is asked in the census November 22 Tiaki was a successful sheepfarmer Tiaki Omana was well known as unless the information will benefit a and runholder at Kini Kini, and in a wise and kindly advocate who wide section of the population. For Meetings are held in the Council the 1930s branched into politics represented to the best of his ability example, ethnicity information is Chambers in the Queen Street through the Ratana movement. He the interests of his people. He died used to measure educational needs offices and are open to the public, unsuccessfully contested the Eastern on 24 June 1970 at Napier and is and achievements of ethnic groups, unless otherwise specified. Maori seat in 1935 and 1938, but in buried at Mokotahi, Mahia Beach. while personal income information For more information phone 838 7309 or visit www.wairoadc.govt.nz