Weather helps with progress on Woodville water supply upgrade

Vast tonnages of material have been excavated from Woodville's impounded supply in the last two months.

Mother Nature and the Woodville community have co-operated well over the early summer to have the water supply upgrade moving along nicely.

Fine weather before Christmas allowed contractors to progress well with the deepening of the Woodville Impounded Supply (reservoir) and it is estimated only 2000 cubic metres remain to be moved to form the structural wall on the eastern side before the concrete ring beams can be installed by Morris and Bailey.

A total of 28,000 cubic metres has already been excavated.

Contractors removing more material while it stays fine on Monday.

The council water treatment team has worked long hours to maintain the supply, checking even in the middle of the night to ensure clean water is maintained and reservoir levels are kept as high as possible in between the Mangapapa Stream flow changes and changes in water turbidity.

Dave Watson

Occasional showers since Christmas have created a few excavation challenges in the bottom of the reservoir but they have helped maintain the town water supply which came under real pressure in the dry patch in December when reservoir levels dropped to below a metre.

"The council water treatment team has worked long hours to maintain the supply, checking even in the middle of the night to ensure clean water is maintained and reservoir levels are kept as high as possible in between the Mangapapa Stream flow changes and changes in water turbidity," says Dave Watson, Tararua District Council, group manager of plant and property.

Woodville residents have been very helpful responding to the restrictions as well and with their help the levels have been restored to 2 metres in the temporary water storage in McLean St.

Dave explains this doesn't mean we can be complacent as there is still work to be done.
Following the completion of the excavation and the installation of the concrete ring beam, the membrane liner has to be fitted and then the cover.

Filling the impounded supply will be a big project in itself.

This will start once the Mangapapa Stream regains enough flow to allow producing water for the township and running the additional water to storage.