About NRSBU

The Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit (NRSBU) is a joint committee of the Tasman District and Nelson City Councils. It oversees the Nelson Regional Sewerage Scheme (NRSS), which is evenly owned by each of the two Councils.

NRSBU was set up as a business unit in October 2000 and previously operated as the Nelson Regional Sewerage Authority. A Memorandum of Understanding that was signed by the two Mayors and CEOs in December 2000 governs the operation of the NRSBU.

Area covered by the sewerage scheme

The NRSBU treats municipal wastes (mainly domestic sewage) from

Nelson City - Stoke, Tahunanui
Tasman District - Richmond, Wakefield, Brightwater (the Waimea Basin) and Mapua

Industrial wastewater from

Alliance Nelson
ENZA Food
Nelson Pine Industries

Geographic overview of area

A map of the geographic area covered by the NRSBU.

Location of Bells Island

&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left" mce_style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&amp;amp;amp;source=embed&amp;amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;amp;geocode=&amp;amp;amp;q=Nelson,+New+Zealand+bell+island&amp;amp;amp;sll=-41.271195,173.284006&amp;amp;amp;sspn=0.024933,0.055747&amp;amp;amp;g=Nelson,+New+Zealand&amp;amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;amp;hq=&amp;amp;amp;hnear=Bell+Island,+Tasman,+New+Zealand&amp;amp;amp;ll=-41.291542,173.172939&amp;amp;amp;spn=0.024925,0.055747&amp;amp;amp;z=15" mce_href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&amp;amp;amp;source=embed&amp;amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;amp;geocode=&amp;amp;amp;q=Nelson,+New+Zealand+bell+island&amp;amp;amp;sll=-41.271195,173.284006&amp;amp;amp;sspn=0.024933,0.055747&amp;amp;amp;g=Nelson,+New+Zealand&amp;amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;amp;hq=&amp;amp;amp;hnear=Bell+Island,+Tasman,+New+Zealand&amp;amp;amp;ll=-41.291542,173.172939&amp;amp;amp;spn=0.024925,0.055747&amp;amp;amp;z=15"&amp;gt;View Larger Map&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

Why Bells Island works

The Waimea Estuary presents considerable difficulties for the discharge of effluent. Disposal in shallow areas can lead to concentration of nutrients and the growth of undesirable and environmentally degrading plants and algae. Public health safety must be protected because of the recreational areas in the estuary and the beaches near its mouth.

Bell Island is well suited to be home to the treatment plant. The object of the scheme is to provide a high degree of treatment with particular emphasis on bacterial reduction, and to discharge well treated effluent only on the early phase of the outgoing tide in a position which ensures rapid mixing an interchange with the sea.