Kairakau Water Supply Upgrade

Kairakau’s new water treatment plant is now officially certified and fully operational, bringing improved water quality and a robust, reliable water system to the area. The local community will now benefit from:

• a safer, more usable potable water supply that complies with NZ Drinking Water Standards;
• improved water quality by reducing water hardness;
• remote water monitoring capabilities, allowing us to more quickly identify and fix treatment plant operation issues; and
• increased storage to support tourism during summer months.

Council thanks the Kairakau community, landowners, Kairakau Development Society, Manawaraku Trust and iwi for their continued support and patience throughout the duration of this significant project. The upgrade has faced some challenges, including Cyclone Gabrielle, extreme wet weather and new regulations that came into force in December 2022.

What's happened since our last update: Final project milestones

Since our last update, the new water treatment plant was completed and activated on 30 March 2023 following a two-month commissioning period.

From 31 March 2023, the plant entered its three-month proving period, during which the contractor Trility carried out mechanical, electrical and control checks, and undertook final site works at treated water tank sites. Since then, the treatment plant has been supplying safe drinking water to the network, with Council's team monitoring the performance of its fully automated operations remotely.

With the Engineer’s issuance of its Council Works Practical Completion Certificate early September, the water treatment plant is confirmed fully operational, meeting all project objectives set and agreed on with the community in December 2020.

Persistent rainfall has been a recurring theme for some months now, with the summer season not being an exception so far. This has caused further unavoidable delays to the works on site, however, the project is now back on track and moving forward. With that said, here’s an update on where things are at and what is coming up next as we near completion of the works to upgrade the Kairakau Water Supply.

What's been happening and what's coming up?

Brodie Place - Water Treatment Plant & Spring Site:
 
With the new water treatment plant on site, and all the mechanical and electrical components having been installed - the verification process, including testing, is currently being performed. Pre-commissioning, cleaning and disinfection is planned to take place in February.

Timber fencing is in place and security fencing around the plant will be installed following commissioning.
 
Kapiti Place Bore & Pump Shed Location:
 
The works on the bore shed are complete and fencing around this will be installed at the same time as the security fence.
 
Bush Hill Reserve - Treated Water Tanks:
 
Site clearance and ground improvements are now complete, while removal of the existing concrete tank and replacement of the damaged tanks is still to take place. We expect to have a date for this soon.

Additional new tanks that provide storage for treated water have arrived on site, and will be positioned onto the platform at the same time the damaged and concrete tanks are removed.

Unfortunately, due to more wet weather and supply delays combined with some necessary changes to the scope, our programme has been pushed out by a few weeks.  With that said, the majority of the work is now complete, and we are still moving in the right direction towards an upgraded and more resilient water supply in Kairakau.

Commissioning of the plant will take place in January 2023 - we look forward to holding a community opening to enable the Kairakau residents to have a wander through the plant and get a better understanding of how it will operate. This will likely be scheduled for February 2023.

What's been happening and what's coming up? 

Brodie Place - Water Treatment Plant & Spring Site:

The electrical and mechanical tie-in work for the new water treatment plant is nearly completed. Both the existing tanks that were moved off-site and additional new tanks have been placed onto the platform.

Our contractor has poured concrete on parking area and driveway.

Some of the fencing has been installed since the last update, with the remainder to be completed as soon as the civil contractor finishes on site.

Since the last update, a decision was made to underground the water pipes and cables that run from new water treatment plant to the bore shed, as well as further up the hill to the treated water tanks. The introduction of the generator back up required an installation of the communication between the new plant and treated water tanks up the hill. As for the pipeline, it was evident that the condition of the existing pipeline, both above ground section and the buried, is not satisfactory. In addition, for security and durability reasons it is recommended that pipes and cables are buried.

Commissioning of the new treatment plant will commence on 9 January 2023 and plant will be operational by the end of January 2023.

Kapiti Place Bore & Pump Shed Location:

As mentioned above, the bore shed is complete with only pipe connection installation left to do and the next stage is fencing.

Bush Hill Reserve - Treated Water Tanks:

Rain and wet ground has been the main cause of delays for our contracting team. The steepness of the hill was another factor and hence the decision was made to do this work once the ground is sufficiently dry.

To recap, this work will include site clearance, ground improvements, removal of the existing concrete tank and replacement of the damaged tank. A new treated water tank will be installed along with the connecting pipework for the supply of the campground.

What has been happening and where are we now?

We are excited to report that the new water treatment plant has been completed and recently moved on to the site at Brodie Place, marking a big milestone in the project. This was successfully transported via truck from Trility's yard in Hastings and positioned onto the platform using a crane.

Also since the last update, work to resurface around the bore and reclad the bore shed is now complete. The final step here is to fence around the site which is due to happen soon.

What's coming up?

Brodie Place:

Now the new water treatment plant is positioned on site, electrical and mechanical tie-in work is underway. This includes connecting the underground electrical assets, as well as pipework and also finalising the site drainage works. Both the existing tanks that were moved off-site and additional new tanks will all be placed onto the platform as well.

Finishing stages of the parking area, driveway and fencing can also happen now - this work was intentionally planned for after the plant was brought in,  to avoid any damage whilst the crane was working to position it.

Commissioning of the new treatment plant will commence in November.

Kapiti Place Bore Location:

As mentioned above, the bore shed is complete and the next stage is fencing which is due to be installed soon.

Bush Hill Reserve:

Rain has continued to bear down and cause delays for our contracting team. However,  as soon as the ground is dry enough this work will be fast-tracked to keep the programme running to schedule. To recap, this work will include site clearance, ground improvements, removal of the existing concrete tank and replacement of the damaged tank. A new treated tank will be installed along with the connecting pipework to increase storage capacity.

What has been happening and where are we now?

The most exciting recent development in this project is that the construction of the new water treatment plant is underway and approximately 50% complete.

 In order to make way for this, site work at Brodie Place have continued to forge ahead since the last update. The platform for the tanks is now complete and two of the existing tanks have been relocated, whilst the remaining two have been temporarily removed from the site to make room for the water treatment plant building to be placed.

Underground works at Brodie Place are complete to the point they can be at this stage, until the new plant building is on site. Drainage work is now 80% complete – with twin culverts crossing in place.

Work around spring shed site is ongoing with 90% of bore shed recladding now complete.

What's coming up?

Once completed at Trility’s yard in Hastings, the new water treatment plant building will be transported and placed onto site via crane. This is set for late-September.

Brodie Place:

Once the new water treatment plant has been moved onto site – the final stages of connecting to underground services, pipework installation and drainage works will be complete. Finishing stages of the parking area, driveway and fencing will also happen after this to avoid any damage whilst the crane is working to position the plant.

Kapiti Place Bore Location:

 Work is continuing here on the bore shed, with minor flashings to be installed to ensure it is weather  proof.

Bush Hill Reserve:

Work at the treated water tanks within Bush Reserve was set to begin in August but the decision was made to wait for the ground to dry out. This will consist of site clearance, ground improvements, removal of the existing concrete tank and replacement of the damaged tank. A new tank will be installed along with the connecting pipework to increase storage capacity.

What has been happening and where are we now?
Since the last update Trility LTD has completed the design work for the new water treatment plant. 

Meanwhile, the team at Topline, have been continuing with works to prepare the site at Brodie Place, to allow for installation of the water treatment plant building once the offsite build is complete. This hasn’t been without challenge and associated delays though, with a combination of soft soils/soft clay and a run of wet weather making the foundation work difficult. The team are making good progress despite this and foundation construction, using base coarse, continues as well as drain laying across the site. Excavation of the driveway is also complete and will be ready for concrete pour in the next few weeks. 

Resource consents have been granted for the new building.

What's coming up?
Trility are set to commence construction of the treatment plant, off-site, at their yard in Hastings.

Brodie Place: The team will continue working towards an end of September completion for site works; this includes the underground services, relocation of raw water tanks, pipework installation and drainage works. Work will also continue on the driveway and parking areas, including concreting, driveway crossings and culverts.
Fencing around the site is due to commence shortly on the eastern boundary, and a planting plan is currently being developed which will be rolled out once all other work is complete.

Kapiti Place Bore Location: Works here are beginning this month and will involve resurfacing around the bore, a fence and recladding the shed.

Bush Hill Reserve: Work at the treated water tanks within Bush Reserve will now begin in August and will consist of site clearance, ground improvements, removing the existing concrete tank and replacing the damaged tank. A new tank will be installed along with the connecting pipework.

What has been happening?
Council appointed Trility LTD to design the new water treatment plant. The team has been working to design and build the plant off-site. Once finished, Trility will deliver and install the treatment plant at the site in Kairakau.

The team at local firm, Topline, have been at the Brodie Place site since late April working to get the area ready for installation. They've cleared the vegetation and stripped the topsoil.

Where are we now?
Trility have almost completed the design for the new plant! The team are now working on sourcing materials for the new plant build - steel, pipework, fittings, filters, instruments and tanks.

Topline continue to work on-site making great ground improvements and ensuring the site is ready for the new treatment plant building.

What's coming up?
The last of the electrical equipment that's needed for the build will arrive in June. Trility will then construct most of the treatment plant at their yard in Tauranga.

Brodie Place: Site works including underground services, relocation of raw water tanks, pipework installation and drainage works will all be happening over the coming months.

Kapiti Place Bore Location: works here will begin in June and will involve installing signage, resurfacing around the bore and shed work.

Bush Hill Reserve: Work at the treated water tanks with Bush Reserve will begin in June and will consist of site clearance, ground improvements, removing the existing concrete tank and replacing the damaged tank. A new tank will be installed along with the connecting pipework.

We've been exploring options to upgrade the Kairakau drinking water supply and have chosen a preferred option after awarding the contract to Trility LTD to design, supply and install a new water treatment plant in November 2021.
 
Trility will use local firm, Topline Contracting, to undertake the civil works on this project.

The contractor-design phase of the project is near completion, and will be followed on-site works and off-site work to prefabricate the new water treatment plant.

The team will start on site from 20 April 2022. We expect it to be operational by November 2022.

We are committed to providing durable infrastructure that allows for smart growth, is environmentally responsible and ensures our proud communities can prosper.

Check out the designs and 3D images showing you what the site will look like

Read our latest e-newsletter with all the latest updates. 

In January, the project team met with the community to provide an update on the progress of the project and had a good turn out with over 25 residents coming along to the campground hall to hear about the progress. You can find the presentation from this meeting linked on the right hand side of this page under 'Key Files & Documents'.

Design is well underway and due for completion by March 2022.

The offsite fabrication will take place from April to June 2022 with the new plant to be transported to site in June 2022.

Commissioning expected August 2022, and a fully operational plant by Summer 2022.

The project is in tender with a number of requests for information received. Indications on supply chains are that there continues to be disruption with businesses on varied working days. The PMO team will be working through this with our contract partners.

CHBDC have been successful in the application to the Tourism Infrastructure Fund to support water hardness treatment at Kairakau. This provides a further $300,000 towards the Water Upgrade project approved by Council. The tender for this project is expected to be lodged into the market this week.

The Central Hawke's Bay District Council is completing ongoing discussion with the Manawarakau Charitable Trust (MCT) and QEII jointly and developed a coordinated draft drawing for the lease of the MCT parcel. This is also in discussion with all affected landowners for their input. The project team is expecting to bring this back to Council.

Following the Council meeting 25^th February, the PMO team are developing a conceptual layout for discussion with the Manawarakau Charitable Trust and QEII in order to negotiate a lease framework. In addition options for treating water hardness is being investigated with the support of WSP consulting. This was discussed further at the Long Term Plan community meeting in Kairakau on the 21^st March with an intent to present again to Council early May.  with options for treating water hardness and an updated cost estimate in May 2021. 

After reviewing the community engagement received, Council is working with our project engineers and property team to assess additional options, and potential edits to current proposed options, (please see original options report under Key Files and Documents).

Council aim to release an updated Options report in early 2021.

View a summary of feedback received during the engagement process in the Engagement Summary Report.

Kairakau’s new water treatment plant is now officially certified and fully operational, bringing improved water quality and a robust, reliable water system to the area. The local community will now benefit from:

• a safer, more usable potable water supply that complies with NZ Drinking Water Standards;
• improved water quality by reducing water hardness;
• remote water monitoring capabilities, allowing us to more quickly identify and fix treatment plant operation issues; and
• increased storage to support tourism during summer months.

Council thanks the Kairakau community, landowners, Kairakau Development Society, Manawaraku Trust and iwi for their continued support and patience throughout the duration of this significant project. The upgrade has faced some challenges, including Cyclone Gabrielle, extreme wet weather and new regulations that came into force in December 2022.

What's happened since our last update: Final project milestones

The new water treatment plant was completed and activated on 30 March 2023 following a two-month commissioning period.

From 31 March 2023, the plant entered its three-month proving period, during which the contractor Trility carried out mechanical, electrical and control checks, and undertook final site works at treated water tank sites. Since then, the treatment plant has been supplying safe drinking water to the network, with Council's team monitoring the performance of its fully automated operations remotely.   

With the Engineer’s issuance of its Council Works Practical Completion Certificate in early September, the water treatment plant is confirmed fully operational, meeting all project objectives set and agreed on with the community in December 2020.