Waiāri Water Supply Scheme underground route finalised

The plant will mainly service the Pāpāmoa coastal strip and the Te Tumu growth area. Photo / File

The underground route for the Waiāri Water Supply Scheme pipeline has been finalised.

The 22km network of pipes will start at 376 No 1 Rd, Te Puke, and run down No 1 Rd through Lawrence Oliver Park, across private property and out to the Poplar Lane reservoir.

From there, underground pipes will carry the water along the Te Puke highway and Welcome Bay Rd to the eastern reservoir at R942.

The Waiāri Water Supply Scheme is expected to be completed in 2021.

It involves developing a new water abstraction facility on the Waiāri Stream, a water treatment plant in No 1 Rd, Te Puke, and an underground water pipeline from the plant to Poplar Lane, Eastern Reservoir and Pāpāmoa.

The plant will mainly service the Pāpāmoa coastal strip and the Te Tumu growth area.

The council said it may also in the future provide a backup for Western Bay of Plenty District Council's Te Puke water supply.

Today the council's Environment Committee chairman, Steve Morris, said the underground route was designed to minimise disruption to Te Puke locals and ensure the best value for money for Tauranga ratepayers.

"Our engineers and consultants considered many factors when coming up with the best way to deliver water from the new treatment plant to people's properties," he said.

"We've done our best to minimise the disruption to Te Puke residents and businesses, avoiding where we can major thoroughfares and commercial areas.

"We'll also be avoiding work on No 1 Rd during kiwifruit-picking season, to minimise disruption to local industries and residents already affected by traffic disruptions during these busy times."

Morris said the network of pipes would avoid existing infrastructure as much as possible.

The pipeline works were expected to start in January 2019 and be completed by August 2021.

Morris said significant safety measures were in place to protect the Waiāri Stream during the construction, and cultural and earthworks monitors would also be in place when earthworks are undertaken to protect cultural sites of significance, taonga and wāhi tapu.

Mauri monitoring tools were being developed and would be put in place before any water was taken from the stream.

In March, work started on the building of access routes and a stream bridge for use during the scheme's construction.

Once the access routes are in place, works on the abstraction facility will start this summer.