Ongoing work to repair the legacy of earthquake damage to Marlborough’s earthenware wastewater pipes is entering its next phase with the fourth stage of work set to begin in Picton on 26 January.
Approximately six kilometres of earthenware sewer pipe will be relined and more than 180 lateral connections to households will be either relined or replaced to the boundary over the next six months.
Marlborough District Council Three Waters Projects Engineer, Graeme Jackson said most of the old earthenware pipes in Blenheim and Picton date back to the 1960s and 1970s and were in need of renewal due to severe cracking from ground movements.
Relining involves inflating a new pliable PVC pipe within the old earthenware pipe using steam.
“The technology is effectively putting a new pipe within the existing host pipe. The new pipe is much smoother and stronger than the old one, extending the service life of the sewer pipes.”
“This technique is a much faster, less invasive and efficient renewal method, which greatly minimises the disruption to the public,” Mr Jackson said.
So far more than 14 kilometres of sewer pipework and at least 500 lateral connections to properties in Blenheim have already been relined or replaced. The entire upgrade is expected to take 10 years across Blenheim and Picton, and will involve up to 25km of pipes, equivalent to the distance from Blenheim to Tuamarina and back again.
Reline NZ LTD, a division of Hydrotech, is the contractor for the project. Work is scheduled to be completed by the end of July.
