Recovered Water Project
Summary
Rotorua Lakes Council is looking at long-term options for managing recovered water from the upgraded Rotorua city Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Once the treatment plant upgrade is finished later this year, wastewater will be treated to a very high standard.
We’re working on finding a solution that protects environment (taiao), reflects community and mana whenua values, is technically and financially viable and supports our community’s needs.
The solution will need to meet new regulations and standards.
Current status
Potential solutions for managing recovered water from the city’s upgraded wastewater treatment plant are now moving into detailed assessment.
An update presented to the Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday (15 July) outlined progress since Council endorsed recommendations put forward by the Recovered Water Working Group in June.
The options include a mix of approaches, including passing recovered water through nature-based pathways such as land or wetlands and incorporating different forms of carbon to further remove micropollutants.
Proposed sites remain confidential while discussions with landowners take place.
It is anticipated that Council will select a preferred long‑term solution by late 2026 following deeper technical, cultural and community assessment.
Timeline
The working group will assess options in two stages. Council expects to choose a preferred solution by December 2026.
Timeframe | What happens |
|---|---|
July 2025 | Council approved the project plan, assessment criteria, and working group. |
October 2025 to May 2026 | The working group assesses options against Stage 1 criteria. |
June 17, 2026, | Working group recommendations presented to Council to confirm options proceeding to Stage 2. |
July to November 2026 | Approved options are investigated in more detail. |
November 2026 | The working group recommends a preferred solution to Council. |
December 2026 | Council selects a preferred solution which will be included in the Long-Term Plan and consulted in early 2027. |
Project overview
Once the upgrade of the Rotorua Wastewater Treatment Plant is complete it will produce recovered water, which is wastewater that has been treated to a very high standard.
This may create more options for how it can be managed.
A working group has been established to assess options using agreed criteria.
The working group will recommend which options Council, which will make the final decision, should consider.
Engagement with iwi/hapu/mana whenua and the wider community, will be carried out.
The views obtained will inform the decision-making process.
Why Council needs a new solution
Recovered water is currently discharged via Whakarewarewa Forest but with the end of the current resource consent, a new location possibly outside the forest needs to be found.
The ground’s ability to sustain the ongoing discharge is also decreasing.
What is recovered water?
Recovered water is wastewater that will be treated to a very high standard at the upgraded Rotorua city Wastewater Treatment Plant.
This includes higher levels of nitrogen and phosphorus removal and disinfection of bacteria such as E. Coli.
You can view a video outlining the treatment process below:
Working group
The Recovered Water Management Solution Working Group is assessing options for how Rotorua should manage recovered water in future.
The working group includes mana whenua nominated members, elected members, technical experts and wider community representatives.
The group reviews ideas, assesses options against agreed criteria, and recommends which options Council should investigate further.
How options will be assessed
The working group will compare each option using the same set of criteria.
This process is called Multi-Criteria Analysis, or MCA. It helps make the assessment fair, clear, and consistent.
The assessment has two stages:
- Stage 1 checks whether an option can pass basic pass or fail requirements.
- Stage 2 assesses the options against a range of values.
Wastewater treatment plant upgrade
The Rotorua city Wastewater Treatment Plant is being upgraded to improve the quality of treated wastewater.
This will include a higher level of nitrogen and phosphorus removal and full disinfection of bacteria such as E. Coli.
The upgrade will be finsihed later this year (2026).
The Recovered Water Project looks at what happens after treatment.
It will help decide how recovered water should be managed in future.
Latest updates
17 July 2026 - Recovered Water Project moves into detailed assessment
Potential solutions for managing recovered water from the city’s upgraded wastewater treatment plant are now moving into detailed assessment.
Recovered Water Project moves into detailed assessment
22 June 2026 - Milestone reached in recovered water project
A short-list of recommended concepts for managing recovered (treated) water from the city’s upgraded wastewater treatment plant will now progress to detailed assessments.
Milestone reached in recovered water project
21 May 2026 - Statement from Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell
A decision on the future management of recovered water from the upgraded treatment plant will be made later this year.
Community voices vital in shaping major decision
Negotiables and non-negotiables
Negotiables
There are several areas where stakeholders— particularly mana whenua, landowners, and the wider community—can meaningfully influence outcomes.
- Discharge Location: While the current site in Whakarewarewa Forest is temporary, the long- term discharge location is yet to be determined. Stakeholders can help identify and assess potential sites based on cultural, environmental, and practical criteria.
- Cultural Values: Mana whenua input is essential in shaping how the discharge system reflects tikanga Māori.
- Community Engagement Process: Stakeholders can influence how engagement is carried out - who is involved, how feedback is gathered, and how decisions are communicated. These negotiables are central to building trust, ensuring transparency, and delivering a solution that reflects shared values and priorities.
Non-negotiables
While the Recovered Water Project invites input from mana whenua, stakeholders, and the wider community, there are several elements that are non-negotiable due to legal, technical, or regulatory constraints.
- Upgrade Underway: The upgrade of the Wastewater Treatment Plant is already underway and almost complete. The design and commissioning timeline (mid-late 2026) are fixed and cannot be altered.
- National Standards: Any future discharge solution must comply with the new national standards for wastewater discharge, biosolids use, and overflow management.
- Viable Alternative: A viable alternative to the existing discharge arrangement in Whakarewarewa Forest needs to be found. A new long-term solution must be in place.
- Public Health: Any solution must ensure the safe management of recovered water to protect public health and the environment. Options that do not meet these standards will not be considered.
- Final Decision: Rotorua Lakes Council will make the final decision on which solution is selected after considering the recommendations from the working group
Documents and FAQs
More detailed information is available on the documents and FAQs page.
This includes:
- Working Group membership
- Working group meeting reports
- Frequently asked questions
- PFAS and emerging contaminant information
- Official information requests
- Background documents
