Resilience And Growth At The Heart Of Watercare’s Tāmaki Upgrades

Cleaner waters are on the horizon for Tāmaki thanks to two new wastewater pump stations and sewers that have come into service in the past two months.

The upgraded infrastructure will help to reduce overflows into local waterways, increase the resilience of the local wastewater network and support targeted growth in the area.

The most recent of the two projects to come into service is the $51 million Glen Innes Branch Sewer upgrade.

Watercare project manager Andrew Ward says the upgrade will greatly reduce wastewater overflows at Point England Reserve and Omaru Creek.

“The upgrade includes a new wastewater pump station in Maybury Reserve incorporating four pumps, 15 metres underground, which have the capacity to pump up to 500 litres per second.

“The new pump station replaces an existing one – which has reached the end of its service life – and provides a 55 per cent increase in capacity.”

Ward says the Glen Innes Branch Sewer upgrade also includes a 1-kilometre-long, 2-metre-wide storage tunnel that will significantly reduce overflows.

“This tunnel can hold up to four million litres of wastewater – more than an Olympic-sized swimming pool – before it passes through to the Glen Innes wastewater pump station.

“This storage tunnel has been installed directly under the roading network along Elstree Ave and into Taniwha St away from the Point England Reserve, where the original pipeline was installed.

“The new infrastructure plays an important role in building resilience in the network, supporting planned growth in the area and will be more efficient and easier to operate and maintain.”

Ward says our ground team is currently decommissioning and demolishing the old pump station and gravity sewer main.

“The old pump station and gravity sewer main should be removed by early September. After that, all hands will be on deck to complete the reinstatement work.”

The first project to be completed, the Dunkirk Road Pump Wastewater Station and rising main, was a $51m joint shovel ready project between Watercare and Kāinga Ora.

Watercare project manager Jason Salmon says the Dunkirk project saw the delivery of a new wastewater pump station on the corner of Dunkirk Road and Tangaroa St and a 1.4-kilometre gravity sewer main.

“The new pump station can handle flows of up to 225 litres per second and store up to 700,000 litres of wastewater.

“The 1.4km gravity main will also help to prevent most overflows into local waterways by diverting the extra flow during heavy rainfall to the new wastewater pump station.”

Salmon says the demolition of the old pump station is expected to be complete by late August.

“After that our ground teams will focus on removing the laydown site, where all the equipment and materials have been stored.

Our crews will then return to reinstate the footpaths, driveways and grounds at the reserve – where the laydown site has been.

“The laydown site should be fully removed by mid to late September.”

Watercare's manager of construction delivery, Alrick Sargent, thanks the Tāmaki community for their support and patience throughout both wastewater upgrades.

“Undoubtedly, both projects have been disruptive for many in the area. We truly appreciate the community’s support and patience as our crews worked hard to get the job done.

"The completion of these two projects marks the end of a significant journey in futureproofing the wastewater network for current and future generations.

“The enduring benefits of these upgrades will be felt for years to come, ensuring a sustainable future for our community."

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