1 March 2011
The drinking water supplied to people in the Pukekohe area is to be improved, according to a plan from Watercare Services Limited (Watercare).
The company plans a $13.1 million project to construct a large, 6.5-kilometre-long watermain that will supply the Pukekohe township with same quality of water supplied to metropolitan Auckland. Design work will begin shortly with the new watermain expected to be operational by mid-2013.
Watercare Chief Executive Mark Ford says the project will address both water quality and capacity issues with the existing water supply infrastructure which was previously operated by the Franklin District Council.
“At the moment, the water sources and plants in Pukekohe cannot produce enough water to satisfy peak demand and there have been longstanding complaints about the water colour and quality,” says Mr Ford. “The shortfall between supply and demand is only going to increase as the population grows. If we do nothing, demand projections suggest that by 2031 the shortfall alone will be equivalent to around four million litres per day.”
Auckland Mayor Len Brown said: “I am committed to investment in Pukekohe and pleased to see Watercare's infrastructure plans for the area. I want to make sure all communities continue to be invested in. The Franklin community is very important to our whole region and ensuring Pukekohe has excellent water supply is key to its development.”
Watercare took over responsibility for retail water services in the Auckland Council area from November 2010. A review of water quality complaints across the region shows a high level of dissatisfaction in the Franklin area.
Local councillor Des Morrison says he is pleased to see Watercare take action so soon after it became responsible for supply to the community.
“I am delighted that Watercare is to meet the future needs for water in Pukekohe by constructing a watermain from the Waikato River,” says Councillor Morrison, who represents the Franklin ward on the Auckland Council.
“This has the major benefit of improving overall water quality and ensuring the important horticultural and agricultural industries have continued access to the aquifers to meet their ongoing needs.
“Franklin is not only recognised as the food basket for the region but also as a significant exporter of produce. This is indeed welcome news for the area.”
The chairman of the Franklin Local Board, Andrew Baker, says Watercare’s plan serves as a tangible example of how the area can benefit from being part of Auckland.
“Under Watercare, our area is now able to connect to the metropolitan supply – which is good news for the people and future of Pukekohe,” says Mr Baker. “It is positive to see Watercare acknowledging this major local issue.”
Watercare’s Chief Operating Officer, Raveen Jaduram, says: “We’ve had complaints about the colour of the existing water, especially in dry weather, and we are committed to improving the level of service.”
With the watermain expected to be operational by mid-2013, Mr Jaduram does not expect the number of complaints to drop off immediately. He says there is no “short-term fix” and asks the community to be patient while Watercare delivers a solution that will resolve both capacity and water quality issues.
“Certainly, the community should continue to call us to report water quality issues,” says Mr Jaduram. “They are our eyes and ears on the ground and it is very important we continue to receive their feedback. However, it will take us until 2013 to deliver this new watermain. In the meantime, we will do everything we can to optimise the existing plants and network.”
Watercare carried out an options evaluation before deciding on this project. The other options included:
1. Maintaining the status quo.
2. Expanding existing sources and upgrading the treatment plants.
3. Upgrading the treatment plants and constructing a smaller watermain to connect Pukekohe to the Waikato watermain.
Mr Jaduram says the option that was selected is the most robust both financially and in terms of the security of the supply.