Cockayne Road water pipe renewal
On behalf of Wellington City Council, we are renewing a drinking water pipe between Cockayne Road and Imlay Crescent to improve the performance and reliability of the network.
If you have any questions about this work, please contact:
Wellington Water, 04 912 4400
From 21 October we are undertaking initial investigations to assess the condition of the pipe which was taken out of service following a failure in June 2024. This work could take up to four weeks to complete and will help determine the most viable solution for reinstatement of the pipe.
Worksites and traffic management will be set up on both Cockayne Road and Imlay Crescent to safely carry out this investigative work.
The hours of work will generally be 7am-6pm Monday to Friday. There will be some noise, however, every effort will be made to reduce this during the works.
To enable us to complete this work safely and efficiently, there will be impacts on parking as follows:
- All vehicles will need to be clear of the work site during working hours. Any vehicles parked in the site area are a potential hazard for workers and will obstruct works. If required, cars will be towed away to the nearest suitable park available.
- “No Parking” areas will be highlighted with orange cones the night before and parking will be removed from Imlay Crescent to allow access for the large trucks needed to do this work.
Pedestrian access will be maintained to properties at all times, but there may be some restrictions during working hours.
Cockayne Road worksite
Imlay Crescent worksite
Cockayne Road - excavation site top left
Why are we doing this work
The cast iron water main laid in 1925 running between Cockayne Road and Imlay Crescent forms an integral part of water supply to the Onslow zone. The pipe was taken out of service following a failure in June 2024.
Water supply services are currently being provided via a supplementary feed from the Mount Kaukau Reservoir. This is a temporary solution until work can be undertaken to bring the pipe back into service, restoring the network to normal operations.
As we approach the summer period, reinstatement of the pipe is required to meet the predicted increase in water demand.
While services have been restored, the current network configuration is a temporary solution with water supply service pressures for the Onslow supply zone reduced. There is also extra pressure on the Mount Kaukau Reservoir providing water supply to another area and increased risk of supply failure in the area should other failures in the network occur.
With increased water demand expected over summer, urgent work is needed to ring the pipe back into service to reinstate the network to normal operations and restore water supply service pressures.
What's involved?
The project involves renewal of the full length of the pipe between Cockayne Road and Imlay Crescent, a short length of main in Cockayne Road and isolation valves in Cockayne Road.
Due to the location of the pipe to houses, challenging ground conditions and steepness of the bank, initial investigations will be undertake to assess the condition of the pipe. This will determine the most viable solution for reinstatement of the pipe.
Impact of work
The renewal works will directly impact adjacent properties. Access to the site for construction is limited due to the encroachment of decks on these properties. We will work closely with individual property owners to secure access to the site and reinstatement agreements.
In addition to the impact on adjacent properties, Cockayne Road will need to be closed during the works. Given this is a key bus route, this will cause traffic disruption for residents, road users and public transport.
When are we doing this work
We hope to complete this work by the end of the year, however this will depend on the work involved to bring the pipe back into service. This will not be known until completion of investigative works to assess the condition of the existing pipe.