Aro Valley Wastewater Renewals

As part of our programme to repair and upgrade ageing wastewater pipes in Aro Valley, our contractors Brian Perry Civil will be doing night works from 162 to 206 Aro Street, beginning in early July (currently scheduled for 5 July). 

To minimise the excavation and noise created by these works, our contractors Brian Perry Civil Ltd are using trenchless, cured-in-place pipe lining technology where possible.  

The process of flushing the pipe, inserting the lining, curing it and then bringing the pipe back into service typically takes around eight hours, not including set up and packing down. This means we need to do these works overnight, to avoid lane closures on Aro Street during peak traffic times.  

We have worked closely with Wellington City Council’s roading team to develop this plan and are awaiting final sign off of the traffic management plan, however wanted to provide you with as much notice as possible of the currently scheduled works. If there are any changes, we will communicate these directly with you. 

Expected start date: Sunday 5 July 

Working hours: Sunday to Thursday, 6pm to 5am 

Location: 162 to 206 Aro Street, working from south to north. We are renewing the whole length of the pipe, but by using trenchless technology we can reduce the extent of lane closures and traffic management to five sections, as shown on the right. 

Expected duration: Five weeks / 25 work nights 

Once the pipe is re-lined, we will reline lateral connections to private property.  

Noise and disturbance created by these works 

There will be noise and vibration created by these works, including vehicles, generators and heavy equipment. To minimise the disturbance to residents, higher-noise activities such as concrete cutting will stop at 11pm each night. 

Our contractors will use acoustic “blankets” or covers around machinery, and have noise monitoring in place to manage sound levels. For most of the time, the main source of noise will be the re-lining equipment, which produces a steady hum, at a volume which doesn’t typically require ear protection.  

Traffic management 

The relining work will be done in segments, working up the street from number 162. Each segment will require one lane of the road to be closed, with a stop-go system in place to allow vehicles to move safely past the work site.  

Pedestrians and cyclists will also be directed around the site as needed. 

No car parks should be affected, and bus stops will be temporarily moved a short distance to continue safely operating. Driveways will remain open and accessible for residents. 

Why can’t these works be done during the day? 

The process of cleaning and inspecting each section of pipe, fully inserting the liner and curing it into place takes approximately eight hours, not including set up and pack down. Given Aro Street is a major thoroughfare, daytime works are usually limited to between 9am and 4pm (seven hours) to avoid lane closures during peak traffic flows. This means there isn’t enough time to finish the job during the day, and pausing halfway through would result in pipe blockages and overflows. 

Are there any other works planned in the area? 

This is part of a package of wastewater renewals happening across Aro Valley. There are currently other pieces of work happening at Holloway Road and Landcross Street, and future portions will cover Fairlie Terrace, Adams Terrace and Maarama Crescent. We are also planning to upgrade one of the drinking water pipes on Aro Street, and we will provide more information on each of these projects in the next few weeks. 

We appreciate this represents a significant disruption for local residents. We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate the community’s patience and understanding while we complete this important mahi.

The works involve relining or replacing the wastewater pipe as indicated in orange on the map below. Arrows indicate access points where manholes need to be installed, and the yellow circles indicate existing manholes which need to be accessed and potentially upgraded or repaired depending on their condition. 

The precise methodology and timing of this work may change due to the condition of the pipe, discovery of other underground services, or other unforeseen circumstances.