Inglewood water pipes replacement

We look after more than 800km of water pipes throughout the district. They range in age from new to more than 110 years old. Some of the pipes being replaced in Inglewood have been linked to an occasional discolouration of drinking water. Other pipes are coming to the end of their life and we’re is taking this opportunity to replace them.

Inglewood’s water is treated before it leaves the plant and is regularly tested as per the Ministry of Health guidelines. Usually it is not considered a health risk, when related to this upgrade project due to sediment being stirred. But as a precaution we suggest you don’t drink discoloured water until it is clear.

We’re replacing nearly half of the town’s pipes – about 12.5km. That includes the two main pipes between the town and its reservoir.

The remaining pipes don’t need to be replaced due to their age and the material they’re made of.

PVC – a type of plastic that is strong and durable, and is suitable for Inglewood’s conditions. This type of pipe is common across New Zealand.

This is a temporary seal while the workers continue pipe-laying. At a later stage, households will be connected to the new pipe outside their home; a good-quality permanent road seal will then be put down.

We will update this webpage every month with the latest work schedule. We’ll also be doing letter-drops on streets before work starts in those areas, to advise householders and businesses.

During phase three, some properties will have only a five-minute water interruption while they’re connected to a new pipe while others will also require a shutdown of a few hours, depending on the work being done. We’ll be advising all householders about the date and time of their shutdown before it happens.

While that is possible, we’re confident the shutdowns will last no more than a few hours while properties are connected to the new pipes.

We advise businesses and households to have an alternative water supply available, such as bottled water, for the duration of the project and especially during the shutdowns to ensure they’re not inconvenienced.

Yes it will. The project’s contractor will make sure the rubbish collector can still get to the bags, bins and crates left at the kerbside on collection day

Most properties will not have their driveways affected. For those that are, the driveways will be reinstated to the same or better condition – we will advise you if your property is included in this.

There will be some road closures necessary so that the work can be done safely. We’ll keep them as short as possible and we’ll advise the community before they begin.

No, it’s cheaper to leave the old pipes in the ground and lay the new PVC pipes alongside them.

Please ring us on 06 759 6060 or email enquiries@npdc.govt.nz.

As part of our water network improvement project we are scheduling the replacement of water pipes that are coming to the end of their life throughout the district.