The 13-kilometre pipeline that supplies water to Pirongia and Te Awamutu is getting a thorough check-up to help prevent future water outages.
The comprehensive water main inspection has been planned for some time and will give Waipā District Council a clear picture of the pipe’s condition. This means repairs can be planned early to reduce the likelihood of breaks.
Water services manager Karl Pavlovich said the water main break late last year, which affected both Pirongia and Te Awamutu, showed just how important it is to invest in our infrastructure to keep water flowing safely and reliably.
“That outage was disruptive for a lot of people. This work is about reducing the chances of that happening again,” he said.
Initial work to access the pipe, which runs through private properties, started last week. Testing should be wrapped up in March, with the results back in June.
“We are using a new inspection method, which means we can test a larger area of the pipe,” Pavlovich said.
“Depending on what we find, we’re hoping to be able to complete the testing without any temporary water shutdowns. In most cases, residents won’t notice a change to their water supply.”
This work forms part of Council’s wider water infrastructure renewal programme.
