1 June 2022
Water flowing into the new reservoir ponds at the Wastewater Treatment Plant marks a significant milestone in the project, said Geoff Hamilton, Chief Executive of Carterton District Council.
A repaired portion of liner in Reservoir One
The filling of Reservoir 1, the first of three new reservoirs at the Daleton Farm site, began earlier this month after remediation took place to repair the liner damaged by Central Hawkes Bay Earthmovers [CHBE].
The project team are using a staged approach when filling the reservoirs to ensure safety of the team working on site, and to protect the surrounding environment. Filling is weather dependent, with cold mornings required to ensure the liner does not expand or crease during this crucial initial fill. Maintaining groundwater levels below the rising level of reservoir is also important, to ensure the liner settles onto the base and slope of the structure while allowing air pockets to vent naturally.
The capacity of Reservoir 1 is around 60,000 cubic meters, or roughly the same size as the existing three storage ponds.
“We are very pleased to be making this announcement,” Mr. Hamilton said.
“Filling the ponds is another huge step towards achieving our strategic goal of protecting our waterways and finalising one of our Council’s largest infrastructure projects.”
CDC took possession from CHBE in September after repeated delays and the discovery of extensive damage to the reservoir linings. CDC commissioned an independent engineer’s report on the best way to repair the damaged liners. The Infrastructure and Services Committee received this report at its meeting on Wednesday 1 June with the agenda which is publicly available here.
“Reaching this stage is a testament to the tenacity and hard work of our project team and their ability to overcome hurdles and manage complex problems,” Mr. Hamilton said
“The engineering report provided necessary guidance for our project team. The project team started work on the repairs as soon as practicable to get ahead of the winter weather. It is hugely positive that we have got water flowing into the reservoirs now.”
Planning the repairs for Reservoirs 2 and 3 is underway, with the weather and cooler temperatures potentially adding risks to the repair timetable. The work will fall within the previously announced budget of up to $1.944 million which was approved last December by Council.