H2OurHealth Pipeline Highly Commended

It was fantastic to see Waitaki District Council come away with a Highly Commended nod at the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) Excellence Awards earlier this week for the H2OurHealth Waitaki Water Pipeline.

The project – a 34-kilometre pipeline from Oamaru to Hampden to supply safe and reliable drinking water ‒ was one of 15 finalists from over 40 entries spread across 5 categories.

Rationale was closely involved with this piece of work, project managing the design, procurement and construction of the $6.7 million water supply pipeline project.

Up against some serious competition in the Economic Wellbeing category (where the winner was ultimately the Wellington Waterfront development), Mayor for Waitaki, Gary Kircher said, “I was immensely proud to have our entry be awarded the Highly Commended prize - recognition of the excellent work done by our team, our contractors, and our community. A huge thank you, and congratulations to all involved in helping make this project happen, proving that small Councils and communities can do great work! It is our collective passion and work that has delivered success for our communities.”

The successful delivery of this pipeline has provided a resilient water supply to several townships on the fringes of Oamaru. It has brought significant economic benefits to the region, enabling business and population growth for the next 40 years.

Water from the Waitaki River now travels up to 85km from the river to Herbert, Hampden and the remotest customer south of Moeraki, covering an area of some 45,000 hectares.

The pipeline is the longest PVC-O pipeline in New Zealand’s history, and makes its way through challenging terrain including five significant waterways, including significant waterways such as the Waianakarua and Kakanui rivers.

Previously water for the area was sourced from small and environmentally sensitive waterways. The scheme utilised aging infrastructure which was vulnerable to the effects of droughts, floods and other events, as well as being non-compliant with Drinking Water Standards.

After consultation with the community, WDC decided on supplying water directly from the Oamaru Water Treatment plant, a cost effective and environmentally friendly option, rather than using existing local water sources.

A large part of the success of the project was due to the dedicated project team establishing a reference group. They utilised the local knowledge and expertise of the community, particularly former water supply committee members, many of whom had originally been publicly opposed to the pipeline construction.

Their assistance was effective in providing solutions to a number of challenges, these included delays due to difficult terrain, a mycoplasma bovis outbreak, negotiations with 41 landowners, and work within the busy State Highway 1 corridor – all complex problems to solve.

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