The final piece of work in a major project to upgrade Ashburton’s wastewater system will get under way early next year, when a new trunk main is installed between Trevors Road and Milton Road.

The old trunk main is almost at capacity and the new pipe will be larger, and relocated to a paper road that runs parallel to the Ashburton River.

Infrastructure and Open Spaces Group Manager Neil McCann said the $2.33 million project was awarded to Ashburton Contracting Limited and work would begin early in 2025.

“We expect the project to be completed by June and the new pipeline will run underground from an existing chamber near Trevors Road to Milton Road, where it will connect to the new pipe that crosses under the river and on to the treatment ponds at Wilkins Road.

“The new location of the pipeline means it will no longer cross private farmland and it can be largely built offline before being connected. Residents should experience no disruption to their usual services.”

The old trunk line will be decommissioned and removed.
Mr McCann said Council had been strategically renewing the wastewater network over the past few years.

“The town’s original network of sewer pipes was established in the 1920s and we still have a few earthenware pipes, though they are being systematically renewed. This last big project really futureproofs the system and allows for residential growth.”

This new pipeline will collect wastewater from the central area of Ashburton, including Hampstead. A new wastewater main was installed from Bridge Street to Wakanui Road and Milton Road in 2021, to handle residential and commercial growth in the north-east.

Mr McCann said the Ashburton wastewater scheme was made up of about 130km of pipes, with connections to 7600 properties, and it was Council’s job to ensure the scheme ran safely and effectively.

“We contract ACL to manage day-to-day operations, repairs and maintenance and as there are very strict rules for dealing with human waste, all our community wastewater schemes are heavily monitored.”

Did you know?

• Sewerage (or sewer) refers to the pipe system that carries, and the infrastructure that treats, the wastewater produced at your home or business
• Each time you flush the toilet, pull the plug from a sink or have a shower, the wastewater drains into a sewer drain on your property
• Wastewater is 99.97% water as most of it comes from showers, baths, and washing machines
• The remainder includes organic matter such as human waste and food scraps, fats, oil and grease, and debris such as sand, grit, and plastic
• Wastewater can also include such things as household chemicals, paint, and pharmaceuticals that can be harmful to our health and to our environment, so effective treatment is very important