Taupo Central Water Mains Upgrade
Taupo

Brief

Civtec was awarded the contract to replace the watermains within the central Taupo residential and business area. With over 6km of new polyethylene pipes and hundreds of residential and business connections, the project saw a significant upgrade completed on watermain network.

Solution

The original concrete pipework that was installed in the 1960s was reaching the end of its life cycle, and so a comprehensive renewals programme was undertaken by the Taupo District Council. New high-density polyethylene pipes with a rated useful life of 100 years were installed, as well as new high-pressure mains valves. Lines were installed using directional drilling, with jointing and testing completed as sections were installed.

Challenges

The area of the upgrade is one of the busiest parts of Taupo, with many large businesses and residential properties connected to the watermain being replaced. Transitioning these properties and businesses to the new network required detailed planning and communication to ensure no disruptions occurred to consumers.

Effective traffic management was important in ensuring the public had limited interruptions to their travels around the area of work, and in keeping motorists and members of the public safe during the work.

Ground conditions in Taupo were very tricky with much of the soil consisting of pumice and other hard volcanic type geology. This meant that the team had to adjust their drill and civil methods accordingly to account for the surface types.

The new watermain was installed alongside of the old watermain which had become brittle and fragile after years of degradation. A stray blade of a spade could be enough to rupture the old system and cut water supplies, so meticulous planning and careful execution was required to ensure this didn’t occur.

Highlights

The project was completed on time which is impressive when considering the challenges of the location and geology of the area, as well as the state of the old network. Civtec also received positive feedback from the client on the delivery of this project.