Work has begun on our new wastewater pump station in Panmure, the first stage of a $49 million infrastructure programme that will cater for the area’s population and reduce the frequency overflows.
Digging for the wastewater pump station is about to kick off on the corner of Dunkirk Road and Tangaroa Street.
The pump station is the first of three infrastructure projects in the area that we have planned with Kāinga Ora. The Dunkirk project is a key government funded shovel ready project.
By working with Fulton Hogan, the agencies plan to deliver these infrastructure projects in two stages over the next eight years.
These projects include a new gravity main as well as a new pipeline connection that will create a more direct route for the increased flows into the Eastern Interceptor near Jellicoe Road.
Project manager Jason Salmon says these projects are key to catering for current and future growth in Panmure and the surrounding suburbs.
“In the next 50 years, the population in the area is expected to grow by more than three times due to planned development.
“This new pump station and wastewater gravity main gives us the extra capacity we need in our network to accommodate the rapidly-growing population.
“The pump station will be able to handle flows of 225 litres per second – 40 litres more than its predecessor – and will have a 650,000-litre underground storage tank. Having this storage facility will significantly reduce overflows that can end up in the Tamaki River.”
Salmon says the design of the pump station, half of which is visible to the public, is not only practical, but sustainable.
"By working collaboratively with our construction and design partners, we were able to land on a design that not only reduces our concrete usage but includes more sustainable materials like Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) – which will allow us to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 1400T.
“To make the build more sustainable we have substituted traditional steel construction fencing with weather bearing hoardings made from a culmination of timber, plasterboard, packaging, metal and other recycled plastics from SaveBoard.”
Jason thanks the public for their patience with the construction of the new pump station – especially with the road closures that are currently in place on Dunkirk Road between Tangaroa and Tobruk Road.
Kāinga Ora Infrastructure Manager Shamir Ali says they are pleased to be working collaboratively with Watercare to deliver these important projects for Tāmaki.
“The Tāmaki large-scale development, which is being delivered by Kāinga Ora and the Tāmaki Regeneration Company, will see 10,500 new homes delivered over the next 15 years. In addition to this, the private sector is forecast to build another 4,000 houses within the Tāmaki boundary.”