Work begins on faulty water main on Taumarunui’s main street

The new water main on River Rd, waiting to be installed along Hakiaha St in Taumarunui.

A troublesome water main that has ruptured multiple times is finally being replaced, with the news coming as a relief to Taumarunui businesses.

Ruapehu District Council’s infrastructure executive manager Vini Dutra said the Hakiaha St water main had left businesses without water on multiple occasions.

“It’s been plagued by problems in recent years.

“The combination of a manufacturing fault, its age and environmental factors has made it susceptible to ruptures caused by heavy vehicles running over it.”

Veolia workers often had to work overnight to repair the main when it broke, Dutra said.

“The replacement of the water main will be a relief for local businesses that have suffered from water outages.”

This week work will begin to install a new welded 180mm water main in stages.

Directional drilling equipment is being used to eliminate the need to dig up the entire road, and the drilling will take place at night to minimise disruption to businesses in the central area.

“The pipe will be drilled and pulled through a series of pilot holes along the street, minimising disruption to businesses and residents, while saving both time and money,” Dutra said.

“This first stage of the project is estimated to take approximately two weeks and will be carried out during daylight hours, with traffic management measures in place.

“A steel-encased 450mm main will be run under the railway lines, connecting Bell Rd with Hakiaha St.“

Dutra said aside from a few smaller jobs, the work would conclude the major upgrades planned for Taumarunui’s underground drinking water infrastructure.

The new water main loop spans almost 4km including Hakiaha St, Bell Rd and Short St.