Hawke’s Bay’s busiest wastewater plant needs $10m replacement pipe

The East Clive Wastewater Treatment Plant is owned by Hastings District Council.

The busiest wastewater plant in Hawke’s Bay needs to replace 150 metres of its outfall pipe, and the council is expecting the work to cost around $10 million.

The East Clive Wastewater Treatment Plant is the main wastewater facility serving the Hastings district and features a 2.75km-long outfall pipe, which discharges treated wastewater into the sea in Hawke Bay.

The first 150m of that outfall pipe needs replacement due to corrosion.

A Hastings District Council spokeswoman said the replacement cost for that 150m-long section was estimated around $10 million for council, but “we will have a more accurate cost once the contract has been awarded”.

The project will be put out for tender later this year or early 2025.

“The original pipe was installed in the late 1970s to early 1980s,” the spokeswoman said.

“Since then, various repairs have been made to this section [the first 150m] of the outfall from early 1990s to 2022.

“The majority of the issues were minor leaks due to internal corrosion of the pipe.”

The East Clive Wastewater Treatment Plant serves a large residential and trade waste population. Photo / HDC

The wastewater plant is owned by Hastings District Council (HDC) and is similar in size to neighbouring Napier City Council’s Awatoto Wastewater Treatment Plant.

However, the East Clive plant on Richmond Rd serves a larger residential and trade waste population, according to HDC.

“Once we have a contractor on board, we will have a better idea of the construction dates and potential disruptions to the wastewater treatment plant,” the spokeswoman said.

“Further planning and risk management will be conducted once the contractor is engaged to ensure minimal impact on the plant’s operations [during the replacement period].”

Council papers stated the existing pipe included a mix of steel and concrete.

“The design of this section of the outfall is currently under way. The materials being considered need to withstand the aggressive corrosive environment,” the spokeswoman said.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.