$358k on water project that did not eventuate

Water Pipe Nelson Rd -

More than $350,000 of council money went towards accessing water from an industry site following Cyclone Gabrielle, but the project never got off the ground.

At a Gisborne District Council meeting on March 2, an agenda item said the council planned to spend around $500,000-$600,000 in connecting to private industry bores which would supplement the Waipaoa Treatment Plant supply — a back-up plant that has become the city’s main water supplier following the cyclone. 

The job included additional UV treatment, pipe connections and installation.

Asked by councillor Teddy Thompson for an update on the project, council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann indicated it had not been successful, but did not elaborate further at the meeting. 

Almost four weeks later, the council has revealed that it spent $358,745 on the job.

It also noted that components purchased and the water main installed would be repurposed. 

Council drinking water team leader Judith Robertson said an option to inject water into the city’s network was suggested to council staff by a business on February 15.

However, the vision to treat water pumped from a bore on Nelson Road and inject it into the city’s bulk supply water main on the same road soon ran into difficulties.

“The chemistry of the ground water source was unsuitable for the proposed treatment method,” Robertson said. 

“Very advanced and expensive treatment systems which would take months to instal and commission were suggested by a design company as an alternative. 

“With many uncertainties and the long time delay, this scale of the project did not present as a viable option under emergency conditions.”

The supplemented water was expected to help with water restrictions, especially for some industries which required water for production, Robertson said.

Gisborne remains in a water crisis with residents being urged to reduce use.

The back-up Waipaoa plant has become the main source of water for the city in lieu of repairs being made to the Waingake pipeline which sustained serious damage during February’s storm.

The most recent update from the council last week said some treated water supply from Waingake would be achieved “within weeks”.