A two-year project to improve drinking water services in Dinsdale has come to an end.
First planned back in 2019, the $19.5 million Newcastle Water Supply Upgrade has added another layer of resilience and protection to the community’s water supply, and will help Hamilton City Council detect water leaks and manage water use in the area more easily.
Dinsdale’s many elevated streets will also experience the benefits of new infrastructure designed to keep their water supply consistent when water pressure drops.
While the project will have a positive impact across the area, Hamilton City Council’s Three Waters Unit Director, Maire Porter, acknowledged the works had been a significant disruption for the community during construction.
“Changing the placement of a pipeline to avoid closing the well-used Dinsdale roundabout meant pipes needed to be installed along an alleyway and two small residential streets. That choice meant less disruption for road users, but a lot more disruption for a handful of residents,” said Ms Porter.
“This project hasn’t been an easy process over the past two years and we’re grateful to Dinsdale residents for their understanding, support, and feedback while our team and contractors have moved around the area, worked in close proximity to houses, and carried out planned water shutdowns.
“But while they may not be instantly noticeable to the public, like a new road or building, we’re confident in the benefits to the water supply that this project will bring to both Council and the community.”
The project is expected to save more than $3 million in electricity costs until 2061 by using gravity to supply water around the neighbourhood where possible. For those elevated areas, a new back-up generator has been installed which will maintain power to the pumps pushing water around the neighbourhood, and keep water supplied to elevated streets during unexpected power outages.
As part of the project, around 6.7km of new pipe has been installed around Dinsdale, from Gibson Road to Newcastle Road and Avalon Drive. The pipes range in size from 280mm in diameter to 800mm.
While construction is now complete, Council staff will be testing and making changes to the way water runs through the new pipes over the next couple of months, said Ms Porter.
