Nelson City Council is budgeting millions of dollars over the next 10 years to account for undetected leaks in the city’s aging pipelines.
Each year council grants between $80-100,000 of water credits to homeowners who have had pipe leakages on their properties, which sometimes go unrealised for months.
These leaks make up a small part of a 20-25 per cent gap in water that is supplied to homes and water that is used by metered properties.
It’s one of the reasons why $3.6 million has been allocated to water loss reduction in the Nelson Infrastructure Strategy 2021-2051, which is up for consultation as part of the Long Term Plan 2021-31.
Other explanations for the unaccounted quarter of the city’s water supply include contractor’s and others accessing unmetered supply – including firefighting, flushing of cast iron pipes to clear discoloured water and inaccurate meters – which is currently being rectified through the meter renewal programme, expected to be completed by 2021/22.
As part of the LTP, council has announced its largest-ever budget for infrastructure projects.
Over the next 10 years, $491 million will be pumped into key projects covering transport, solid waste, water supply, wastewater, stormwater and flood protection.
The Nelson App is taking a closer look at the biggest spends on the council agenda.
First up is infrastructure which will represent 73 per cent of the council’s capital spending and almost 50 per cent of its operational expenditure.
Council’s group manager infrastructure, Alec Louverdis, says the team has been working hard with consultants and contractors to ensure it can deliver on the largest LTP budget yet.
“We believe we have the capacity and the will to deliver it, and there are some quite chunky projects within that budget.”
Key projects will include: Completion of the Saxton Creek Upgrade ($20m), Maitai flood mitigation ($10.6m), water supply and wastewater renewals ($20m each), Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit ($58.4m capital expenditure, $10.5m operating costs), Atawhai Rising Main renewal ($23m), as well as gaining a new resource consent for the Nelson Wastewater Treatment Plant, increasing capacity for growth and National Transport funding priorities and challenges.
A large portion of Nelson’s water supply and wastewater network was installed between 1950 and 1970 and a big part of that is due for renewal from 2030 onwards.
To handle that work, council has brought forward some of the renewal to “spread the load”, allocating $20m to each over the LTP period.
Alec says council has identified a “wall of renewals” in the not-too-distant future and has decided to increase the renewal programme now to ensure that future generations are not left with an unmanageable task.
“Yes, we have to have a balance. We’re one aspect of the council and it’s all about affordability but it’s also about being good ancestors. We’re setting a reasonable pace so we’re not leaving a legacy for those coming after us who would have an insurmountable task.”
The Atawhai Rising Main, which sends half of the city’s wastewater to the Nelson Wastewater Treatment Plant, is also up for renewal in the next 30 years, with council opting to bring the first stage of replacement forward.
Alec says renewal of the pipe between the newly upgraded Corder Park and Neale Park pump stations will take a lot of planning but creates an opportunity to further look at the resilience of the network.
“We are looking at that in terms of size, location, materials, a whole range of things, we are looking at resilience so probably not just one pipe we will be looking at a dual-pipe system.”
Alec says a key question they want the public to provide feedback on is are they satisfied with the level of infrastructure investment.
“We are spending a lot more on infrastructure and we want to know are the public is satisfied with the proposed level of investment, would they prefer to reduce the spend or would they like more?”
To make a submission and have your say on Nelson’s next 10 years or to read the consultation document go to www.shape.nelson.govt. nz/ Feedback is open until April 21.
