Watercare Enlists Air Support To Remove Wastewater Pipe Bridges In Pt England

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a helicopter removing the two redundant pipe bridges over Omaru Creek!

Watercare enlisted the help of an Airbus helicopter to remove the last 60 metres of an old gravity sewer spanning Omaru Creek in Point England Reserve as part of completing a $51m project to upgrade the area’s wastewater network and support growth.

Over the past six months, Watercare, alongside its construction partner Fulton Hogan, has been steadily decommissioning the old branch sewer system in Glen Innes and Point England.

Watercare project manager Andrew Ward says ground crews spent about a week preparing the pipeline for lift-off: draining the remaining wastewater from the pipes, setting up scaffolding, and cutting the pipeline into five-metre sections due to weight limitations.

“We also had arborists prune overhanging branches to ensure clear access for the helicopter.”

Ward says the decommissioning of the pipes went to schedule and without a hitch, with all three crews working in-sync to get the job done in just under an hour.

“Our first crew, our riggers, connected each section of the pipeline to the helicopter hovering above the ground.

“The second crew, our spotters, ensured public safety across Point England Reserve.

“Our third crew at the laydown area collected the pipes.

“In the following days, the pipes will be cut further into smaller one metre sections for disposal.”

Watercare design and construction manager Alrick Sargent says the old gravity sewer has been replaced by a one-kilometre-long, two-metre-wide storage tunnel that can hold up to four million litres of wastewater – more than an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

“The storage tunnel was brought into service two months ago alongside the new Glen Innes wastewater pump station as part ofthe Glen Innes wastewater upgrade.

“This tunnel can hold up to four million litres of wastewater before it passes through to the Glen Innes wastewater pump station.

“It’s been installed directly under the road along Elstree Ave and into Taniwha St, away from the Point England Reserve, where the original pipeline was installed.

“The new infrastructure is crucial for building resilience in the network, supporting planned growth in the area, and will be more efficient and easier to operate and maintain.”

Sargent says with the pipe bridges now safely removed, the crew’s focusis on removing the remaining sewer lines and manholes in the reserve and demolishing the old Glen Innes wastewater pump station next to the new one in Maybury Reserve.

“We truly appreciate the community’s support and patience as our crews worked hard to get the job done.

"The completion of this project will mark the end of a significant journey in future-proofing the wastewater network for current and future generations.”

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