Lake Rotoiti is a lake in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. It is the north western most in a chain of lakes formed within the Okataina Caldera. The lake is close to the northern shore of its more famous neighbour, Lake Rotorua, and is connected to it via the Ohau Channel.

Dwellings surrounding the Lake Rotoiti area encountered issues with ageing septic systems, and the decision was taken to decommission these septic tanks and replace them with onsite bio treatment systems. These bio treatment systems could only be positioned near the roadway on the top end of the properties for serviceability, creating a tricky problem: how to get the waste from the lower end of the properties after the old septic systems were decommissioned.

After extensive discussions with civil contractors Fulton Hogan and the team at Saniflo SFA, it was decided to install Sanifos 280 Inground pump stations to transfer the waste up to the bio treatment systems where it would be discharged to the newly laid sewer mains.

The inground pump station solution was required to pump all wastewater from the existing septic system drainage connections that were positioned on the lower end of the properties near the lake frontage, this then needed to be pumped up to the new bio treatment systems that would be installed uphill on the top part of the properties near the roadway.

Access to the existing septic tanks and drain line connections was limited and as a result the installation space and access was typically going to be very tight, resulting in the inground tanks having to be hand excavated. The other consideration that needed to be accounted for, was the lake level was approximately 600mm below ground level.

The Sanifos 280 was the perfect choice for this project given its compact design whilst still being an efficient storage pump station solution where gravity reliant sewerage systems are not possible, due to limited site access and site constraints such as property sloping away from the sewer infrastructure on lake frontage properties.

The Sanifos 280 is a complete package ready to install and includes the internal pipework, non-return, ball valve supplied and high-level alarm.

“We were very happy to be able to provide Fulton Hogan and the Rotorua Council with an effective plumbing solution that adequately satisfied the challenges they had to overcome ensuring the wastewater was successfully pumped on upward sloping properties to the onsite bio treatment system," says Graham Denysschen, Business Development Manager, SFA New Zealand.

Saniflo's Design Service

Saniflo offers project consultancy and assists architects and hydraulic consultants by reviewing plans, assisting with design layouts and recommending the correct pumps and their ideal location. They even work with the plumber onsite during installation to ensure that everything goes as planned. Saniflo has a wide selection of products for domestic and commercial application to provide design flexibility.