Northland civil engineering construction company United Civil Construction is nearing completion of the fi rst stage of its largest project undertaken in Kerikeri, with a contract which involves expanding the sewerage network in central Kerikeri by about 28km, allowing 350 more existing homes and businesses to connect to the scheme.
Kerikeri’s new wastewater treatment plant will replace the existing 29-year-old plant, which is at capacity and failing to meet its resource consent conditions.
The new plant will be able to treat 1000m3 of sewage a day, three times more than the current plant was designed to treat.
It has been designed to be expanded in line with population growth, and could eventually treat up to 2000m3 of sewage a day.
Before the new plant can be commissioned, United Civil Construction is on site to install new private pump chambers on 350 properties, then install a network of various sized wastewater pressure pipes which connect each of the properties’ pump chambers to the new wastewater treatment plant.
In addition, there are booster pump stations and a terminal pump station to be constructed. The pump chambers, measuring 800mm in diameter, are placed two metres deep in each of the properties.
Once installed, the pump chambers are connected to the pressure pipeline installed in the road, and will pump the sewage to the new treatment plant once it is built as part of a separate contract.
Once the new plant is commissioned, United Civil Construction will return to the properties to finalise their connection to the scheme and decommission existing septic tanks. The whole project is expected to be completed mid-2019.
United Civil Construction project manager for the Kerikeri Wastewater Reticulation Scheme Greg Whitehorn says his company overcame a number of geological challenges to successfully complete on time and on budget a similar low-pressure sewage scheme in Opua, Bay of Islands in 2013.
“There have been a number of geological challenges involved with this project too, in that the Kerikeri area is volcanic with a lot of rock,” he says.
“While we’re directional drilling most of the pipeline to reduce the impact to private properties, road users, and pedestrians as much as possible, in some cases it has not been possible to directional drill and trenches have had to be dug to lay pipe. Still, the contract is tracking on time and on budget.”
Privately owned and founded in 2006 by Andrew Campbell and Paul Mandeno, United Civil has undertaken a wide range of significant civil projects including state highway reconstruction, local authority intersection upgrades, sewerage systems, water reticulation, bridge replacements, and storm water works.
The expansion of the sewerage network in central Kerikeri will allow 350 more existing homes and businesses to connect to the scheme.
As well as the Opua Low Pressure Sewer Scheme, United Civil Construction has also handled a number of other Far North projects including the Waipapa Road Water Main in 2009, the Cape Reinga seal extension in 2010, various subdivisions and the ongoing work for Top Energy at the Ngawha Power Station Expansion.
In recent years, United Civil Construction has expanded its service offering through the acquisition of structural concrete company Paneltech Construction, and the formation of joint venture company Maintenir, which provided integrated maintenance solutions for heavy industry throughout New Zealand.
This article was brought to you in association with the following businesses…
- Humes
- Webb Contracting
- Warren Gabb Drainage
- Northland Underground Drilling
