High-tech membrane filters in the $111 million Waikato River pipeline project will ensure the water is treated to Auckland standards, says the region's bulk-water supplier.
Watercare Services said yesterday that a consortium called Water Waikato had won the contract to build the Tuakau treatment plant and 38km pipeline toManukau.
Earthworks at Tuakau will begin in August, with work on the pipeline to start towards the end of next year and the project expected to be completed by about mid-2002.
It will initially be able to pump up to 50,000 cu m of treated water a day, but expansion could boost that to 150,000 cu m. Aucklanders use about 330,000 cu m daily.
The Waikato River pipeline has been in the planning since Auckland's catchment lake levels sank perilously low in 1994.
Watercare chairman Peter Drummond said a decision to use new membrane filtration technology meant Aucklanders could have complete confidence in the quality of water from the river.
Filtering the water through a membrane with microscopic pores provided protection against bugs such as cryptosporidium and giardia.
"Membrane filtration will ensure the Waikato River water will be treated to the same or higher level as water from our existing catchments," Mr Drummond said.
A staunch opponent of the pipeline project, environmentalist Dr Joel Cayford, said it would still subject Aucklanders to avoidable health risks.
"Membrane technology does extract viral and microbial contaminants but there are concerns with pharmaceuticals which pass through people and into water untreated," he said.
Water Waikato is a consortium of New Zealand companies McConnell Smith and Beca Consultants, Australia's Thiess Contractors and American firm CH2M Hill.
