Watercare is set to install the final touches of a replacement pipeline for the $22 million Kahika wastewater upgrade in New Zealand.
Watercare project manager Alastair Stewart said these final touches will be the installation of five air valve cabinets and odour filtration domes.
“Air valves are commonly found on large pressure pipelines to enable them to operate efficiently by releasing air that builds up during the operation,” Stewart said.
“The odour filtration domes will be installed next to the air valve cabinets to filter out any unpleasant smells from the built-up air that’s released from the cabinets.”
The pipeline will replace the current 50-year-old pipeline that has experienced four significant failures, resulting in complex repairs and significant clean-up costs.
“If a failure occurred at the northern side of Kaipātiki Creek or the bridge that carries the pipeline over the creek, the cost of the clean-up and repairs – and ultimately to the environment – would be huge,” Stewart said.
“This is why this new pipeline is essential. It will be able to carry twice the amount of wastewater compared to the existing pipeline enabling population growth and reducing the number of overflows into Kaipātiki Creek.”
The replacement pipeline has been built using both 700mm polyethylene and 600mm fibreglass pipes which are more resilient to internal abrasion, according to Stewart.
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