Newlands Watermain Renewals
If you have any questions about this work, please contact:
Wellington Water, 04 912 4400
Latest Updates
On behalf of Wellington City Council, Wellington Water is renewing the major drinking water pipelines in Newlands, as part of a package of works across the city which will reduce leaks, prevent water outages and increase the resilience of the network.
This project covers:
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Link Road
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Quigley Street
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Archbold Street
Works are expected to take place over 2026.
All Updates
The first stage of our project to upgrade the drinking water network in Newlands is about to kick off on Link Road.
The current pipe was installed in 1960 and has a history of leaks and regular repairs.
We’re not just putting in a new pipe though – we’re also installing a “rider main”, or secondary pipe, which will provide connections to homes on the southern side of the road. This reduces the number of connection points being attached to the primary water main, which makes the system more resilient and longer-lived.
Because this requires excavating and installing pipes on both sides of the street, we will be working in sections along Link Road, with a full road closure during working hours (7am to 6pm on weekdays) and, if possible, resident access overnight. This will happen in six stages:
Stage 1: numbers 52 to 60 and 45 to 53 Link Road (Brindle Way to Glanmire Street)
Stage 2: numbers 34 to 48 and 31 to 39 Link Road
Stage 3: numbers 26 to 32 and 23 to 31 Link Road
Stage 4: numbers 16 to 24 and 9 to 21 Link Road
Stage 5: numbers 2 to 14 and 1 to 7 Link Road
Stage 6: in the intersection of Link Road and Kenmore Street
Once the new pipes are installed, there will be excavations at each end of Link Road to connect them into the network.
What this means for local residents
Wherever possible, we will maintain driveway access for residents whose homes are not within the active work site.
Traffic management will be in place 24 hours a day.
On-road parking spaces will be blocked with cones where necessary to maintain a safe and healthy work environment and keep traffic moving when the road is open.
Traffic management officers will guide pedestrians and cyclists safely past the work site.
Detours will be in place with signage guiding drivers via Kenmore Street and Glanmire Road.
We are coordinating with Metlink to adjust bus stops and divert buses where needed.
There will be some noise, vibration and dust during construction. Our crew will only be working during daytime hours (7am to 6pm, with no noisy work before 7:30am) on weekdays. No machinery or generators will be used overnight.
We expect construction to begin on Wednesday 25 March and take approximately four months.