Proposed upgrade of wastewater systems at the Glendhu Bay Lakeside Holiday Camp has been approved.
It is thought the systems may have caused E. coli contamination in the past. Management of the Glendhu Bay camp and the Wanaka Lakeview Holiday Park was taken over by the Queenstown Lakes District Council when the parks' leases ran out last year.
A resource consent application was approved earlier this month and it is understood a contractor has been chosen.
The application proposed about 5288cu m of earthworks, stating treated wastewater was discharged from the camp to soakage trenches within the indicative flood level, and in some locations within 50m of Lake Wanaka.
Furthermore, it says historic testing of the lake's water has, at times, shown trace elements of E.
coli bacteria, "indicating possible contamination of the water".
The proposed solution, which has been signed off by commissioners, is the installation of an on-site wastewater treatment system.
Included in the proposed works is an underground sewage treatment plant, reticulation system, control shed and a low-pressure effluent disposal system where, in a similar way to soakage trenches, the wastewater is absorbed underground.
In a report to the council's finance and corporate committee in late May, holiday parks general manager Greg Hartshorne submitted Glendhu Bay was also "badly in need" of an accommodation upgrade.
The report said the park's main problem was it made almost all of its money during a four to six-month period, with little return during winter.
Mr Hartshorne suggested because of the Wanaka and Glendhu parks' vicinity to skifields there was "a huge opportunity to tap into this market for the off season".
"There isn't a need to spend great sums of money or to try to change that special thing that Glendhu offers, but the need for a new and modern but inexpensive toilet-shower block and some comfortable accommodation is a must."
However, no such work would be carried out, with the exception of the wastewater system and essential maintenance, until the district plan had been reviewed.
