Submission period extended

We're inviting potential solutions for the management of recovered water from the upgraded Rotorua Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The submission period has now been extended for a final two weeks — until 26 April 2026 - and we’d love to hear your ideas.

This is your opportunity to explore what could be possible with recovered water: restoring land, supporting the environment, creating long‑term value for future generations.

The Recovered Water Management Solution Working Group has been established to assess options and recommend to Rotorua Lakes Council a sustainable, culturally appropriate and environmentally sound solution.

If you have ideas, insights, or innovative approaches — big or small — now’s the time to share them.

Submit your solutions

  • Interested parties can submit their potential solutions for managing recovered water by completing the following form online.
  • These submissions will be assessed, filtered and refined by the Working Group using the decision-making framework (Multi‑Criteria Analysis).
  • Those options that pass all Stage 1 criteria will be recommended to Council for consideration.

You can view the questions in the following PDF before starting your online submission.

View the questions - (PDF, 70KB).

Please note: This document is for reference only, all submissions and supporting documents must be uploaded through the online form.

📝 Decision-making framework

A structured evaluation framework—Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA)—is being applied to ensure rigour and transparency in decision-making.

The framework is structured in two stages

Solutions must meet all Stage 1 criteria (below) to proceed.

• Technical feasibility.

• Legal and regulatory compliance.

• Fits within Council’s Long Term Plan allocated budget or less.

The working group will assist the project team in defining the scope of investigations and will receive monthly updates. Once sufficient information is gathered, the group will initiate the Stage 1 analysis.

The results will be presented to Council for approval to proceed to Stage 2.


Solutions that pass Stage 1 will undergo detailed investigation and reporting. The working group will then conduct a values-based assessment using approved weightings outlined below:


💬Follow-up and feedback

Initial review ✅

Your submission will be assessed by the Recovered Water Working Group who will confirm whether the option meets Stage 1 criteria (technical feasibility, compliance, budget alignment).

Feedback provided 💬

Submitters will receive a brief summary of the assessment outcome, including strengths and any areas requiring further detail.

Next steps 👟

Options that the Working Group deem meet all Stage 1 criteria will be presented to Council for approval to proceed to Stage 2.

Transparency 🔎

A record of submissions and outcomes will be shared with the Working Group to ensure openness and transparency.

🧭Guidance for submitters

  • Submissions should clearly explain the ideas being proposed, with enough detail to help the Working Group understand the intent and implications.
  • Evidence, case studies, or examples will strengthen proposals.
  • All submissions will be logged, acknowledged, and assessed in a transparent manner, by the Rotorua Lakes Council project manager.
  • A Technical Advisory Group (TAG) may add further detail during investigations, should the Recovered Management Solution Working Group request it.

Email recoveredwater@rotorualc.nz for further information on the criteria.