Towards the end of next week, we kick off six months of earthworks for the new wastewater transfer pipeline to create two launchpads for the tunnel boring machine.
The 5km pipeline will stretch from Lucy Moore Memorial Park Pump Station in Warkworth to Snells-Algies Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The wastewater transfer pipeline is part of our $300m+ investment programme to support growth and improve environmental outcomes in Auckland’s Northeast region.
To help deliver the project, we have partnered with major infrastructure company McConnell Dowell – the same contractor working on the Lucy Moore pump station.
Our project manager Dirk DuPlessis says the project team is using a direct pipe drilling method to carve out the pipeline route.
"The direct pipe drilling method is very safe and combines micro tunnelling and directional drilling to allow pipeline installation.
"Also, the direct pipe method isn’t sensitive to geology as it can go through soft and hard ground – empowering us to get the job done in an efficient and timely manner."
DuPlessis describes the wastewater transfer pipeline – made up of 423 steel pipes weighing 6.85 tonnes each – as critical infrastructure.
"The transfer pipeline will also help us to build up the resilience of our wastewater network to help support development and residential growth in the area, which is expected to swell to 28,000 people by 2050."
"This programme of work will help to clean up the Mahurangi River by removing the current treated wastewater discharge into the river from the existing Warkworth Wastewater Treatment Plant."
The tunnelling is expected to begin in March next year. The project is expected to complete early in 2025.