Source: Radio New Zealand
Fulton Hogan workers move the new pipe into place in Robe Street. Supplied
Work is underway to replace some of the first water pipes ever installed in New Plymouth after almost a century underground.
The district council was replacing about 306 metres of 1930s cast-iron pipes in Robe, Devon and King streets with new polyethylene (PE) pipes that would be able to keep up with rising water consumption in the centre city and the needs of modern fire-fighting.
NPDC project delivery manager Sean Cressy said the new PE pipes and connections would provide a more secure supply to city centre businesses, such as its hospitality sector.
“These old cast-iron pipes were the very first public water pipes laid in central New Plymouth and we’ve seen them fail several times in recent years as they reach the end of their useful lives.”
Cressy said council, which was investing $289 million over 10 years to fix its plumbing, and its contractors Fulton Hogan aimed to keep disruption to a minimum.
“We know this might cause some disruption to traffic and we’re sorry for any inconvenience, but we’ll keep this to a minimum by drilling beneath the roads, rather than digging trenches to install the new pipes.
“We’ll also try to confine water shutdowns to times that cause the least inconvenience to businesses and residents. All our water supplies will meet New Zealand drinking water standards at all times during this work.”
Fulton Hogan foreman Josh Lehrke checks out part of the original pipe as it’s uncovered for the first time in almost a century. Supplied
Cressy said footpaths and access to all businesses would remain open during the works, which were expected to be finished by the end of the year.
Fast facts:
- NPDC committed to investing $289 million over 10 years to 2034 to fix the district’s plumbing.
- The district has about 2026km of water, wastewater and stormwater pipes.
- In the 2024-25 financial year, it replaced about 5600m of old water pipes and 2000m of old sewer pipes.
- This financial year (2025/2026), about 7000m of old water and wastewater pipes are scheduled for renewal.
- There are four separate water supplies in the district: New Plymouth (including Ōmata, Bell Block, Waitara and Urenui), Inglewood, Ōākura and Ōkato.
- Combined, these facilities supply approximately 28 million litres of water per day to almost 30,000 homes and businesses.
- The main source of water in the district is Lake Mangamahoe, which holds about 10 days supply.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
