Dwell Punakaki
Our client is building two luxury accommodation batches on a remote coastal section on the West Coast. They needed a comprehensive wastewater management solution to obtain building consent for the site.
Client
Dwell Holdings Ltd.Services
- Environmental
- Water Engineering
The challenge
The client faced several challenges related to the site’s coastal location. The steep terrain left little usable space for construction with limited access to the site. The land itself is wet and clayish, with poor water infiltration. The client approached Eliot Sinclair for an effective wastewater treatment system, ensuring wastewater from both batches could be managed on-site without the need for septic storage tanks.
The solution
To address the client's needs, we developed two distinct wastewater treatment solutions, tailored to the conditions of each batch’s location. For the Northern batch, we implemented a secondary-level treatment system that discharges treated wastewater through drip lines, strategically placed in the site’s vegetation to maximize infiltration and leverage the natural transpiration process. This solution took advantage of the flattest area on the property to ensure the treated water would be absorbed into the soil, avoiding runoff into nearby waterways.
For the Southern batch, the steep slope and low infiltration capacity of the soil required a different approach. We designed a septic tank paired with an AES bed, which is a subsurface treatment and disposal system. This method allowed for efficient wastewater management without visible surface structures, preserving the site’s natural aesthetic.
Despite the challenges posed by the site's clayish soil and steepness, the solutions we implemented met all environmental requirements, ensuring minimal impact on the surrounding environment. The client has been pleased with the outcome and is now progressing towards resource and building consent with confidence.
