Watercare Caps Off East Coast Bays Sewer Link

Watercare has successfully finished the final connection on the East Coast Bays Link Sewer at Windsor Park, signalling the official completion of the infrastructure project.

Measuring 1.75 kilometres in length and 800 millimetres in diameter, the $21.5 million pipeline was constructed to handle the increased volumes of wastewater pumped from the new Mairangi Bay Pump Station to the Rosedale Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The new pump station pump up to 625 litres per second – double the capacity of its predecessor which has now been demolished.

Alongside the new Mairangi Bay Pump Station, the wastewater pipeline will help to enable planned growth in the area.

Watercare project manager Dirk Du Plessis says the East Coast Bays Link Sewer went into service in July and has been performing as expected.

‘The new pipe is currently diverting around 90 per cent of the wastewater from the old sewer main, significantly increasing transmission capacity and reducing overflows in the local network.

“Both pipelines connect with each other just west of State Highway 1 before entering the Rosedale Wastewater Treatment Plant as one.

“Although the new sewer main is carrying most of the load, the older pipeline continues to service many businesses and homes in the area and along Constellation Drive.

Du Plessis says much of the East Coast Bays sewer link was installed using horizontal directional drilling.

“Using this drilling method allowed the pipeline to be installed directly beneath the road and under houses, eliminating the need for excavation and prolonged traffic disruptions.

“It meant we could get the job done at pace and to a higher quality too.

"Horizontal directional drilling is also better for the environment than open trenching as it lessens the impact on the surrounding residential assets.”

Du Plessis says with the East Coast Bays Link Sewer now operating at full capacity, Watercare can focus on further improvements to wastewater services in the area.

“Besides the landscaping, top soiling, and grass seeding work at Windsor Park, where the East Coast Bays Link Sewer connects to the network, we will be investigating several manholes in the area, conducting routine cleaning, and performing CCTV inspections on the existing wastewater network.

“This work will help us identify any underlying issues with the wastewater pipelines that still need to remain in service.

“The community will be notified in advance if any additional repair work is required.”

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