Treating our wastewater to the highest possible standard is at the heart of Cambridge’s new wastewater treatment plant – a future-ready facility designed to protect the Waikato River, support population growth, and honour cultural values.
Water services manager, Karl Pavlovich, says water purity has been a top priority from the start of the project.
“Environmental standards are much higher than they used to be, and rightly so. The Waikato River is a taonga [treasure], and its mauri [life force] must be respected. We had to do better, the old way of treating wastewater isn’t good enough anymore.”
The build of the new treatment plant is surging ahead – and it will deliver next-generation environmental benefits for the Cambridge community.
The plant’s centrepiece is a state-of-the-art membrane bioreactor system, which uses microorganisms to break down waste in a carefully controlled environment. This process significantly improves the quality of treated water compared to the old way of pond-based wastewater systems.
After bioreactor treatment, the water is further treated through membrane filtration followed by ultraviolet disinfection to eliminate any remaining pathogens.
The facility and treatment processes were developed with mana whenua through the Kaitiaki Group, which includes representatives from Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Ngāti Hauā and Waikato-Tainui.
One of the key outcomes of this partnership was selecting an environmentally and culturally appropriate discharge solution.
Based on the group’s guidance, the treated wastewater is released via a gabion wall and rip-rap (rock) outfall structure along the riverbank. The structure honours te ao Māori by allowing the water to reconnect with the land, or Papatūānuku, and restore its mauri before re-joining the Waikato River.
The new plant also reflects a commitment to sustainability, with an on-site solar farm planned to power daily operations. The tender process for the solar installation is set to begin in May.
The full project remains on track for completion in 2026. Once finished, it will operate under a new resource consent and provide the capacity needed for Cambridge’s fast-growing population — all while meeting stringent environmental standards and the cultural expectations associated with caring for the Waikato River.
