Source: Auckland Council
With the new underground wastewater pump station now in place, Watercare is making significant progress towards lifting the long term Safeswim black pin status at Judges Bay.
The installation of the pump station is a key achievement in Watercare’s $13.2 million Judges Bay wastewater upgrade, which also includes the installation of two wastewater pipelines: a rising main on Judges Bay Road and a gravity main on Cleveland Road.
Together, these infrastructure upgrades will increase the capacity in the local wastewater network and reduce the frequency of wet weather overflows at Judges Bay.
The upgrade is Watercare’s permanent solution to a broken wastewater pipeline underneath the Parnell Rose Gardens – believed to have been caused by extreme flooding during the 2023 summer storms.
Watercare project manager Frank Lin says the submersible pump station, which weighs 8.5 tonnes and is 8.4 metres tall and 3.5m wide, was delivered and installed on the same day.
“The submersible pump station was delivered to the site on a flatbed truck at 6:30am and was installed by around 1pm.
“It was lifted off the truck by crane and suspended in mid-air.
“The crew then manoeuvred the pump station by 90 degrees so it could be lowered into the 8.5 metre deep shaft.
“The crew did an excellent job of following the lifting plan and installing the pump station in a narrow and challenging site.
“Once the pump station had been lowered, secured in the shaft, and the support suspensions removed, the crew began backfilling the shaft and connecting the pipework and services, including power and water.
“The crew filled the pump station with water to prevent stress and compaction while the shaft was infilled with concrete to keep the pump station in place.”
Lin says the St Judges Bay wastewater upgrades are on track to be completed by July this year.
“Our crews and contractors are making great progress with the upgrades, with stage two of the upgrade – the installation of the new rising main on Judges Bay Rd – now complete.
“Work is progressing well on stage three of the project with the installation of the gravity main now underway on Cleveland Road, which will connect with the rising main at the corner of Judges Bay Road.
“To install the gravity main, we’ll be using horizontal directional drilling, which will allow us to install the pipeline at a shallow depth underneath the road with minimal surface excavation. This keeps costs down, minimises disruption and gets the job done faster.”
The Wastewater Pump Station was lifted in by crane and installed on the same day.
Waitematā Local Board chairperson Genevieve Sage is impressed with the progress Watercare is making with the wastewater upgrades for Judges Bay.
“The bespoke solution caters to the community’s current and future needs.
“Once in service, the infrastructure will provide a permanent replacement to the damaged pipe caused by the 2023 summer storm events. The wastewater upgrade will help to increase resilience of our wastewater network as well as further protect our local waterways.
“This will enable Watercare to lift the long term Safeswim black pin status at Judges Bay.”
Ōrākei Ward councillor and Deputy Mayor of Auckland Desley Simpson thanks Watercare for their diligent work and the community for their patience as we progress towards completing these projects.
“Our community is highly engaged and passionate about the efforts Watercare is making to improve below the ground water infrastructure in Parnell.
“We are eagerly anticipating the lifting of the Safeswim black pin status, allowing current and future generations to take a dip at Judges Bay.”