Council completes $6m upgrades to water network
Published on 28 September 2022
The completed Westway pipe bridge replacement project. The wastewater pipe bridge between Durie Hill and Putiki is a critical asset
Whanganui’s three waters infrastructure has been strengthened on schedule following the completion of a series of projects funded by central government.
More than $6 million of funding was allocated to Whanganui District Council as part of a nationwide $761 million three waters stimulus and reform funding package for councils announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in July 2020.
The funding was designed to provide investment in critical water infrastructure and services and to help to stimulate economic activity and jobs throughout the country.
The council received approval from the Department of Internal Affairs for the funding of seven water projects, two wastewater projects and some stormwater projects, all of which have been completed to plan.
Whanganui District Council senior stormwater engineer Kritzo Venter says the projects have built resilience into the three waters networks, reducing risk to service delivery in future.
“Not only have we been able to renew many critical assets, effectively extending their useful life, but we’ve also done so in good time, reducing risk to the service as many of these projects weren’t slated for completion until much later in the council’s Long-Term Plan 2021-2031.
“The funding has allowed us to bring this work forward, freeing up resources for other projects and improving the network for residents now, and for our growing population in the future,” says Kritzo Venter.
“We would like to thank the public for their patience with the disruptions, most notably traffic management while we’ve been digging up and reinstating their roads. We would also like to thank local contractors and service providers for prioritising the works so we could deliver these to a high impact, and on schedule.
“And of course, we also thank central government for providing the funding.”
The completed projects include 800m of new pipes to improve resilience and ensure supply to critical assets such as the wastewater treatment plant and the airport. Ongoing stormwater separation work is also key to meeting the council’s climate change and environmental objectives.
Visit the project page for more information about the Whanganui Three Waters Stimulus Project.