Cyclone Gabrielle: Taupō company showering down aid

Phill Andrews (right), of Central Carpet Care, and Adam Wilkes, of Laser Plumbing, work on a portable shower in the McBeth Plumbing and Gas workshop in Taupō. Photo / Dan Hutchinson

In the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, calls have gone out for food, fuel and supplies for people in the affected areas.

One local business has gone a step further, using what it does best to bring sanitation and a little creature comfort to those hardest hit.

McBeth Plumbing, in Taupō, was searching for a way to send some aroha to the Hawke’s Bay community when it spotted an intriguing idea.

Someone had shared an image on social media showing mobile showers crafted from two stacked, caged water tanks.

With huge cleanup efforts underway to clear the masses of silt and debris after widespread flooding, access to washing facilities is more important than ever. However, many are still displaced from their homes, without power or stable water supplies.

Owner Ralph McBeth and son Scott McBeth knew they had the expertise needed to construct the showers, which could be easily transported in a trailer. One of the design’s advantages, Scott said, was that they could be deployed wherever they were needed, including rural and urban environments.

“They’re completely off grid.”

They used their connections with other tradies in the area to work out where they might be needed. The team was particularly interested in “being able to provide a little bit of normality” for people who were doing it tough.

It was also a way they could help in the short term, and for as long as was needed during the inevitable recovery period.

“They should be useful now and in the future.”

The next hurdle was sourcing parts because the showers required a deceptively complex setup, including 12-volt batteries, pumps, solar panels and water heaters.

They had some parts, but needed more to meet their initial target of building five units.

Once again, McBeth turned to social media.

The team put out an appeal to individuals and businesses for the components they needed. The level of response was unexpected, with offers from around the region of plumbing and electrical parts, as well as shower kits and hygiene items to go along with the completed shower units.

“In the last two days, it’s just grown hugely.”

As well as materials, there came offers of time and labour. With all work being completed off the clock, the tradies were happy to accept a hand from Laser Plumbing Taupō, which joined them after hours to get started on the project.

Scott said he was blown away by the level of support for their work, and wanted to send thanks for the “huge generosity” the team had seen in their mission to help.

Now, the team is hoping to raise funds to help them continue building further showers, with details on where to make deposits available on McBeth Plumbing’s Facebook page.

Scott said they were prepared to make this a longer-term, ongoing project if the first units are well received.

“If the demand carries on, then we’ll keep making them.”

They have so far built five units and have the resources to build another six.