A $2.5 million repair job has been recommended by independent engineers WSP to bring a 40 year old stormwater culvert near State Highway 3, at the Mangorei road intersection, up to scratch.

The repairs would fix a 60-metre stretch of stormwater (rainwater which flushes out into rivers, lakes and the sea) pipe on Waiwaka Terrace and a decision on the project will be made by the Mayor and Councillors at a meeting on 1 September. This one-off and unbudgeted piece of work highlights the precarious state of the District’s water network which was highlighted during ex-Cyclone Gita, with $44 million immediately set aside for short term upgrades while further independent reviews of the whole network were carried out.

“We treasure our water here in New Plymouth District, and living in a Lifestyle Capital with such high rainfall, we need a stormwater system that flushes out residual water efficiently. This culvert is a risk to public safety and private property. The problem section runs beneath a private driveway and it’ll be a tricky job due to a number of factors, including the depth and the need to keep services operating while we work. But it’s critical the work gets done as quickly as possible and we’ve been talking with neighbours,” says NPDC Infrastructure Manager David Langford.

NPDC looks after 284km of stormwater pipes collecting water from more than 6,600 hectares of urban land around the District.

All the details can be found here.

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