Rethinking wastewater

Engineering consultants will review Cardrona Alpine Resort's wastewater operations this summer, in the wake of a recent four-day closure of the skifield.

Cardrona skifield owner Duncan Veall, of Melbourne, told the Otago Daily Times a review of the mountain's wastewater systems would be carried out by engineering consultants during summer.

Wastewater specialists would review a "number of systems" at the skifield, Mr Veall said.

The review would be carried out after the season close of the skifield's operations, he said.

The costs of any changes, which the skifield's wastewater systems might need were unknown. Changes would be undertaken as a "matter of course" during the summer, he said.

Any projected costs associated with an upgrade of Cardrona's wastewater and oxidation pond would not affect other planned skifield infrastructure investments, such as the installation of snow-making guns on the new Valley View chairlift run, Mr Veall said.

Cardrona has trucked out more than 800,000 litres of wastewater from its oxidation pond since September 7.

The skifield was closed for four days while it carried out the bulk of a drainage operation to lower the level of its near-overflowing oxidation pond.

Septic tanker trucks have continued to transport wastewater from the oxidation pond to a Queenstown disposal facility, since the skifield reopened six days ago.

Portaloos brought in to help reduce flows to the skifield's wastewater systems were scheduled to be removed yesterday, Mr Veall said.

Costs associated with the skifield's closure and the ongoing drainage operation are "significant".

Wastewater would continue to be pumped into four 30,000-litre tanks for tankers to transport off the mountain, Mr Veall said.