New Zealand's second-largest dairy cooperative finalises ocean outfall project

WELLINGTON, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Completion of a 26 million New Zealand dollars (19 million U.S. dollars) ocean outfall pipeline project marks a significant milestone for Westland Dairy Company Limited following commissioning of the project on May 3, New Zealand's second-largest dairy cooperative announced Friday.

China's Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Company Limited, one of the world's leading dairy producers, acquired Westland in August 2019. During the acquisition, Yili showed strong potential to lead Westland to a brighter future by winning the votes of 93.79 percent of the 96-percent Westland dairy farmer shareholders participating in the voting on the Yili acquisition offer, as well as the approval of related authorities in New Zealand.

Westland Resident Director Shiqing Jian said a significant proportion of work was undertaken by locally based contractors, ensuring a proportion of the 26 million New Zealand dollars (19 million U.S. dollars) budget was spent within the local community.

"Local contractors WestRoads completed the first parcel of work for the project on time, on budget and - where possible - with minimum disruption to the community," Jian said.

Westland General Manager of Supply and Environment Mark Lockington said WestRoads laid 4.3 km of underground pipe from the factory to 100 m south of Westland District Council's oxidation ponds ending at a deaeration chamber behind beachside dunes.

Engineering firm McConnell Dowell was contracted to the tunnel to lay an under-seabed pipeline from the deaeration chamber to a point 800 m out to sea. A team of divers was deployed by McConnell Dowell to attach a diffuser unit to the underwater pipeline where it emerged from the seabed.

COVID-19 restrictions caused slight delays to the completion of the project, originally scheduled for March 2021, with final completion work limited to appropriate weather and ocean conditions providing safe working conditions and procedures.

Following successful completion of the project, trial runs of water and then highly treated wastewater were discharged through the ocean outfall pipe, and operational procedures were finalised, with the pipeline coming into use from May 10.

Jian said the pipeline has been designed to ensure minimal visible disruption to the local landscape and allows for Westland District Council to use the pipeline if needed as part of any future upgrades to council's sewage treatment outfall.

Completion of the ocean outfall project means Westland's Hokitika plant no longer discharges highly treated wastewater into the Hokitika River.