The patience shown by Edgecumbe residents during the current upgrades of the town’s stormwater and wastewater systems has been acknowledged by the contractors involved.

The projects are being carried out side-by-side to address issues relating to stormwater infiltration into the wastewater system in heavy rainfall events, which has resulted in wastewater overflows in the town.  The projects were included in the first year of the Whakatane District Council’s Long Term Plan 2012/22 and have a budgeted cost of $1.5million. 

The improvement to the town’s wastewater system includes the replacement of two pump stations with a new pump station, and the installation of new ‘rising mains’, which will pump wastewater to the Edgecumbe treatment ponds. The stormwater system is also being upgraded with a new pump station in Otakiri Road and the laying of a new pipeline in Matipo Place.

Whakatane District Council Manager Utilities, Santha Agas, says the works are addressing longstanding issues that largely originated from the 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake.

“The nature of the earthquake damage to the town’s infrastructure has meant that there has been no simple fix,” he says. “While repairs have been made a number of times over the years, the only long-term solution was to replace much of the failing infrastructure.”

Mr Agas says the Council appreciates that the works will create a level of disruption. “We’re grateful to Edgecumbe residents for their patience while the work is being carried out, and we’ll ensure that these projects are completed as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

The wastewater system upgrades are being undertaken by Waiotahi Contractors, with Draintech carrying out the Matipo Place stormwater works.