Wastewater construction site blessed by iwi group

The Hillsborough wastewater pump station site was blessed before upgrades began. Photo / Hamilton City Council

Members of local iwi group Te Haa o te Whenua o Kirikiriroa joined Hamilton City Council staff and contractors from HEB Construction last week to bless the site of the Hillsborough wastewater pump station upgrade.

The iwi group's manager Rawiri Bidois said mana whenua are happy to support a project that helps the city prepare for the future, while at the same time helps to protect one of the most important taonga, the Waikato River.

"The awa and its wellbeing is at the heart of our city. It is vitally important for us as guardians to keep it safe and healthy. Once construction is complete, this pump station upgrade will help achieve this.

"It is equally important to ensure that the environment is front of mind while construction takes place."

The pump station, next to Grantham St just south of Victoria Bridge, will be relocated to improve accessibility and upgraded to increase storage and flow capacity.

The site pumps wastewater from the south-eastern area of the central city across Victoria Bridge (on the underside of the bridge) to the main wastewater line on the eastern side of the Waikato River.

"The Hillsborough pump station is a critical site in our wastewater network operation, and this upgrade project will improve our network resilience and enable future growth of the city," Project manager Pieter de Klerk says.

HEB Construction have been contracted by Hamilton City Council to complete the works and will begin construction of the major $5m upgrade project before Christmas. Works are expected to be complete in mid-2020.