Work on Waiaroha starts now

Waiaroha, a key project in Hastings Drinking Water Strategy, has received Resource Consent and construction work will start immediately.

The water treatment, storage and education facility in central Hastings is the largest and final project in the strategy, developed to make the community’s drinking water supplies safe and to improve the network’s capacity and resilience.

“This is very good news. This project is a key part of our strategy to make our drinking water supplies safe. It is a considerable investment that will serve our residents of today and ensure drinking water stays safe for future generations,” said Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst.

The strategy was formulated following the 2016 Havelock North water contamination. “Safe drinking water remains our number one priority, and it is immensely pleasing to see all of the projects that make up the strategy either completed or well underway.”

The strategy includes the upgrading of all the small community water supplies (three completed; three under construction; two in planning), a second mains water pipeline between Havelock North (completed), the Havelock North booster station (completed), and the construction of two major water treatment facilities for the main urban supplies, at Frimley (60 per cent complete) and in central Hastings (underway).

“What our major capital projects team has been able to achieve in just four years is nothing short of incredible, especially given the impacts of COVID-19 last year and its flow-on effects which have led to a shortage of contractors and building materials, and difficulties getting the technology into the country,” said Mrs Hazlehurst.

“I also want to thank our residents for their positive contribution to the projects through extensive consultation.”

The Waiaroha work site, on the corner of Southampton St East and Hastings St South, will be fenced off in the coming weeks to allow site preparation works to start. Hastings District Council’s major capital projects director Graeme Hansen said initial works would include the removal and demolition of existing buildings on site, ‘loading’ of the site with soil to cater for any ground settlement, and the construction of bore and pipelines.

The project has an expected completion date of mid-2022, weather and ground conditions permitting.

3 May 2021

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