One of my regular walking routes takes me past the Argyle Park water treatment plant and it’s been great to see that upgrade project be completed well ahead of schedule.

A new UV disinfection step was added to the plant, so it complies with national drinking water rules, and the site will now be tidied up and the fences taken down.

Council has been installing UV equipment on other community water treatment plants that require it and by the end of the year that huge job will be almost complete.

It’s a high bar for 100 per cent compliance and only part of it is the physical equipment at the plant. Monitoring and reporting also contributes to compliance and if a plant misses just one daily report then it is considered non-compliant for the whole year.

New national rules for wastewater treatment are also in the pipeline and Council will wait to see how those affect our longterm work. In the meantime, we are spending millions of dollars renewing wastewater pipes in urban areas, and trying to ensure our pipe networks and treatment facilities remain operating at their best.

Driving around Ashburton at the moment, you can see this work on Philip Street and Tancred Street, and soon the people of Methven will see renewal work on Line Road. Wastewater is not a sexy subject, but it’s a service that needs to run super-smoothly because nobody wants blocked pipes and sewage overflows.

I had the privilege recently of attending the launch of the ANZ Business of the Year Awards. The awards are hosted by Council and organised by event specialists Ri Ra, with the aim of celebrating our big, medium and little businesses that grow and thrive.

The Ashburton District does punch above its weight economically and that is the result of much hard work by business owners, managers and staff.

The awards are held every two years and the 2026 category winners and supreme winner will be announced at the gala next February.

You can find out more about the awards at businessoftheyear.nz