Letters to the Editor

---

Don’t block innovations
Dear Mangawhai Waste Water Advisory Panel: The conclusion in your final report is that 100 percent mandatory connection to the Scheme is the best!

We are living in a free country and the benefit of free trade is that competition brings good quality for good prices. Mandatories need good reason. Monopolies limit innovations and progress.

I understand that all who are involved – like the contractors, consultants and politicians – are stating that mandatories are the best option. Monopolies make money earning easy.

I understand that already-connected homeowners hope that more connections will drop the operating costs. For me this is an illusion in the structure of monopolies.

You state that 77 percent of the On-Site-Systems don’t achieve the recommended results. This can’t be a reason to push the other 23 percent companies out of the market!

The results you printed show that 30 percent of the On-Site-Systems reduce nitrogen better than the Mangwahai Scheme. The Sequencing Batch Reactors reduce Nitrogen even three times better than the Mangawhai Scheme. But why do you state in general high risk for the environment from all On-Site-Systems?

My main concern is that mandatory connection blocks innovations.

For the last six months I tell you again and again and again that the future of waste water treatment will be separating systems: First grey-water from the bath and then yellow-water (urine) and black-water (faeces). When we want we will very soon have Nil-Discharge-Systems. We will have valued stuff instead of waste. A One-Pipe-Takes-All system is from yesterday.

You are personally so nice guys that I can’t understand why in your 89 page report there is not one word about separation systems.

Christian Simon
Mangawhai

---