Watercare and construction partner Pipeline and Civil are set to complete a $1.2 million repair project for two pipelines under the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
The repairs for North Shore Pipeline 1 and 2, which are both 60 years old, will include various replacement works.
“Our plan for the next three months is to replace several roller supports and bearing plates as well as repair corroded sections of the pipeline, during the time of year the demand on our network is a lot lower,” Project manager Thavarajah Veluppillai said.
“The roller and bearing plates are crucial for protecting the lifespan of both pipelines: allowing for easy restriction and expansion, during changing temperatures between the summer and winter months.”
Both pipelines feed drinking water from reservoirs on the city side of the Auckland bridge to various North Shore suburbs such as Devonport, Takapuna, Glenfield, Wairau Valley, Birkenhead and Northcote.
“If something goes wrong with one of these pipes, much of the lower North Shore could go without water,” Veluppillai said.
“To reduce the risk of this happening, we plan to take a gradual approach to carry out the necessary repairs and we’ll be shutting down one pipe at a time to allow the team to carry out more critical work while the other remains open.
“We’ll also be actively topping up the reservoirs around the North Shore before the planned shutdowns to ensure residents and businesses have constant access to safe and reliable drinking water while we continue to build up the resiliency of our network.”
The upgrade works for both pipelines are set to complete by July later this year.
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