Project Little Oneroa
Little Oneroa Stream - Whats happening here?
Like too many waterways in Aotearoa the Little Oneroa Stream is polluted with E.coli bacteria. The Waiheke Community has been working to learn more about why the stream is polluted and what we can do to change that. Here is what we have found.
The Lagoon is currently unsafe for human recreational contact.
The main sources of contamination are
- Poorly performing on-site waste water systems
- Bird and dog faeces
Pollution levels fluctuate due to weather, tides & sand blocking the lagoons from flow towards the ocean.
These are natural occurrences.
There are 4 things we can all be doing to help
- Don’t feed the ducks
Ducks breed to the amount of food available. Lots of food leads to lots of ducklings, and excessive breeding leads to large numbers of birds in one area. Because ducks defecate directly into the water, they can have a significant effect on water quality & the E.coli levels.
- Use septic friendly products
Not all products on supermarket shelves are safe for your septic system or the environment. Anti bacterial cleaners, bleach, disinfectants & many other chemicals can kill the micro-organisms in your septic system causing it to fail, and potentially leach runoff into our waterways.
- Care for your on-site waste water system
Regular maintenance (hi-tech systems need a maintenance contract and frequent servicing) & 3 yearly pump outs will ensure your system is working effectively. Conserving water by only doing 1 load of washing per day and spacing our showers are proactive steps you can take to avoid overloading your septic system.
- Pick up after your dog
Dog faeces left on the ground wash into waterways, carrying E.coli and other bacteria that can make people sick.
We can all make changes that will contribute to healthy waterways.
Little Oneroa Residents
Did you know that living in the Little Oneroa Catchment means you are entitled to some pretty cool stuff that will help you look after your septic tank and the Little Oneroa Stream?
Join loads of other Little Oneroa residents by taking advantage of the below offers that are available only to properties in the Little Oneroa catchment and only for a limited time.
$40 septic tank check!
With the support of Project Little Oneroa, Waiheke Local Board and Greenacres Waiheke 100 Waiheke properties can access a 50% discount on a septic tank check. Book now to avoid missing out!
The septic tank can be used to show compliance under the Auckland Unitary Plan for primary systems and can be used as a health check for secondary and tertiary systems. During the check service, providers can unblock drains, assess drainage fields, clean filters, purge lines, sludge measurements, and assess system health and troubleshoot. Post check they will report and provide details of suitable specialists if necessary and also use the time to show people, how to better maintain and manage their systems. Up to 1 hour on site.
For info contact info@wrt.org.nz or call 372 2915
Ecostore Refills
Your septic system disposes and treats your household wastewater. It is a 'living' system and is sensitive to what you put in it. A poorly operating system can cause untreated wastewater to overflow and get into waterways. A great way to take care of your septic tank is to use eco-safe products, as bleach and chemical cleaning products can kill microorganisms in your septic.
Ecostore products are safe for septics and refills reduce plastic use. Little Oneroa catchment residents are entitled a 15% discount, available at the Sustainability Centre. Please bring proof of address for your first purchase.
Little Oneroa Action Plan
The Waiheke Resources Trust, with support from community members, Mana Whenua, Auckland Council, Auckland Transport, field experts and the Waiheke Local Board, developed the Little Oneroa Action Plan through a series of seven facilitated workshops held from 8 to 29 October 2015. Altogether a total of 107 people participated in the workshops.
The workshops were based on the Logical Framework Approach methodology defined as: a quality-based understanding of planning, based on a participatory and transparent planning process, aimed towards the needs of partners and target groups, in which the key elements of a project are agreed on step by step, in teams, with those concerned, and recorded transparently.
From that a purpose of the project was created:
To restore the Little Oneroa Stream so that it is safe for human contact and recreation and meets our environmental, social & cultural values.
Project Little Oneroa's yearly work program is constructed using the objectives and activities as set out in the action plan.
For a copy of the Little Oneroa Action Plan email info@wrt.org.nz
Project Little Oneroa is proudly funded by the Waiheke Local Board
Project Little Oneroa is also supported by the Auckland Council Healthy Water team.
Where to get other help
Waiheke Independent Waste Water Engineer
