Moa Point
sludge minimisation facility

Sludge is the name for the solids created through the wastewater treatment process. It is not an easy, or nice, material to dispose of. Currently more than a million litres of sludge is piped 9km across Wellington to the Southern Landfill every day. There some of its water content is taken out. What’s left – 40-50 tonnes daily – is buried in the landfill. Our current consent means we have to mix one part sludge with four parts general waste.

We’re building a facility that will change all that. The sludge minimisation facility will reduce the volume of sludge created by up to 80 percent by creating a stable, dry, odourless product that can be more easily transported, and used in productive ways such as a soil conditioner and fuel for industrial heat.