Kakanui will soon get better drinking water and high-quality sewage disposal.
The township, with about 400 ratepayers, is being connected to Oamaru's water supply and treatment plant to upgrade it to the latest drinking water standards.
It is also being connected to Oamaru's sewage treatment plant, to replace the Kakanui's own system which would have required major upgrading to meet conditions for a new resource consent.
At about $900,000, joining up to Oamaru through about 8km of pipelines was the most effective alternative to upgrading both Kakanui's water supply and sewage treatment systems.
''For many years the Kakanui water supply has come from a source beside the Kakanui River which has had variable water quality,'' Waitaki District Council water services and waste manager Martin Pacey said.
When connected to the Oamaru supply, Kakanui residents would enjoy high-quality water, which was fully compliant with the New Zealand drinking water standards.
In addition to the high-quality water, from October Kakanui wastewater would be pumped to Oamaru where it would be treated to a higher standard.
''Treatment of Oamaru wastewater is to a higher standard, so having Kakanui wastewater treated in the same way means we are reducing the environmental impact of the discharge,'' he said.
Both upgrades would result in a higher standard of water quality and be more environmentally sustainable.
