Three Waters funding allows faster upgrades to crucial Waikato services
$11 million towards projects to enhance the overall quality and level of water services across the district.
11 August 2022
Waikato District Council together with Watercare have recently completed a range of maintenance and upgrade work to their water supply, wastewater and stormwater networks.
$11 million worth of the work to enhance the overall quality and level of water services across the district was funded from the Government’s $523 million Three Waters Stimulus funding package.
General Manager for Service Delivery at the Waikato District Council, Roger MacCulloch says he is grateful for the funding from the Department of Internal Affairs to support these important upgrades and renewal projects:
“The DIA funding allows us to advance some works that are required but have not been budgeted for elsewhere. Without this funding, they may not have been completed for some years.”
Maintenance activity started in October 2020 and completed in June this year, with a significant part of the project being the removal of 10,485 cubic metres of sludge from the Meremere, Huntly and Ngāruawāhia wastewater ponds.
Waikato District Council workers at the Ngāruawāhia wastewater pipe bridge.
Other projects completed with the funding included the installation of an ultraviolet treatment unit and the replacement of filter media at four water treatment plans, to protect water quality and remove a higher level of contamination and pollution.
The Raglan water treatment plant also received an additional filter barrier treatment, to protect the water supply and ensure that water quality is not impacted by disturbances such as earthquakes.
Mr MacCulloch says the council is responsible for $376 million in three waters assets across the district, and as the area continue to grow “upgrades and renewals are often required to maintain levels of service and support.”
The Government recently announced a $44 million Transition support fund, to ensure councils have the necessary resources to implement the Three Waters reforms.
This is in addition to the Stimulus Funding and the $2 billion in Three Waters Better Off funding available for councils for community wellbeing projects.
To learn more about the funding, visit our Funding for Councils page.