Thursday, 17th May 2012
All the latest Ashburton News, Sports, Community and Business Information
| Upgrade on the horizon for Methven water supply |
|
By Susan Sandys November 22 2011
Water services manager Andrew Guthrie said the 200-metre long porous concrete pipe, between two and four metres below the ground, could be reaching the end of its useful life. It would not be known whether it needed complete relining, a minor patch-up or no work at all until investigated. The former could potentially cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but because it appears to be working well this was a "pretty low likelihood", he said. The pipe is the point of collection for the supply, functioning by allowing groundwater to percolate into it, near the north branch of the Ashburton River. Mr Guthrie said it was "largely unknown" what the lifespan of such porous piping was, and the only thing the council had to compare it to was the Ashburton intake which was installed around the same time and required relining in the 1980s. Investigation into the condition of the piping is expected to cost $120,000. It is one component of the planned upgrade. The key component is $271,400 to be spent on a new cartridge filtration system and new ultraviolet water sterilisation unit. Other costs include $98,500 for pipeworks and fittings, $69,000 for meters, electrical work and controls, $61,740 for professional fees and $50,000 for other plant improvements. The total estimate is $687,140 plus GST, slightly above the $678,873 excluding GST which has been budgeted by the council. The budgeted figure has already been accounted for in the Methven water rates, and the rate take for the project began last year. "As long as we can bring it in under that budget there won't be any additional increase relating to that project," Mr Guthrie said. The actual cost will not be known until tenders have been received. The council is progressively upgrading all water supplies in the district to meet new legislative requirements. In its current form, the Methven treatment plant will not meet Drinking Water Standards for New Zealand (DWSNZ) requirements. Residents are invited to attend an open day tomorrow at the Methven Heritage Centre. Staff will be on hand to explain the project and answer questions 11.30am to 1.30pm and 5pm to 7pm.
|
Most Popular
Feedback Form
What do you want to talk about? Do you have a comment on any of our articles? Questions about our website?
