Innovative technology used to clean wastewater network
Waikato District Council has appointed a contractor to continue the cleaning and inspection of its wastewater network, work which was started in early 2017.
The contractor, HyrdoTech, is also providing vacuum (or sucker trucks as they’re also known) on an as required basis to assist with the operation of the network, particularly emergency response.
As part of the Wastewater Continual Improvement Programme, a further 40 kilometres of Council’s wastewater network will be cleaned and inspected in 2018.
HydroTech will be using new camera technology when they do this work. A camera will be placed on the end of a jetting hose before it’s put down the pipes. “When the guys are cleaning the pipe they’ve got a tool that they’ll put on the end of the hose to put a camera in the pipe, which will check that the pipe is clean before the main, larger CCTV unit comes in,” HyrdoTech Managing Director Alan Hopkins says. “Not only will this save time, but cost too.”
The work done by HydroTech is a continuation of Council’s commitment to maintaining and improving the district’s wastewater network to prevent overflows, Waikato District Council Service Delivery General Manager Tim Harty says.
In 2018, HydroTech will check and clean pipe networks in Tuakau, Pokeno, Meremere, Te Kauwhata, Ngaruawahia, Huntly and Raglan. They will also be completing smoke testing in high priority locations throughout the district.
Residents in the areas they are working in will be fully informed that work is occurring prior to the contractor starting.