A tender for the district’s “biggest council-led capex project ever” - construction of upgrades to the Wānaka and Hāwea wastewater schemes - is due to go live this month.

The Upper Clutha Wastewater Conveyance Scheme (UCWWCS) will include major upgrades to the Hāwea wastewater scheme and the Wānaka wastewater network (Project Pure).

A total budget of $80M has been locked in to Queenstown Lakes District Council’s (QLDC) Long Term Plan, with work expected to begin on the upgrades by mid-2025, and concluded by early 2028.

Deputy mayor Quentin Smith said the upgrades represent “a major investment in infrastructure in the Upper Clutha largely to accommodate growth and to provide a replacement for the end of life and under capacity Hāwea treatment plant”.  

“It collectively is the biggest council led capex [capital expenditure] project ever in our district - although it could be argued to be two or three combined,” he said.

The upgrade is “the biggest council-led capex project ever in our district”, says deputy mayor Quentin Smith. PHOTO: Wānaka App

Quentin said the projected investment in water treatment plants, the north Wānaka wastewater conveyancing, Luggate water, and others “demonstrates the insatiable demand and costs of growth and compliance in the 3 waters space”.

He noted that council also recently completed a third plant at Project Pure for $17-20M, which “continues to perform well in terms of operation and compliance”. 

The scope of the latest upgrades includes construction of a new wastewater pump station (WWPS) on Domain Road in Lake Hāwea, as well as construction of a 12.5km rising main in both formed and unformed legal roads from Domain Road to Albert Town No. 2 WWPS.

The Riverbank Road WWPS will be upgraded, with construction of a 7.4km rising main in the road reserve and using easements from Riverbank Road WWPS to the Project Pure Wastewaster Treatment Plant (WWTP).

The Albert Town bridge is a key piece of infrastructure in connecting Lake Hāwea to Project Pure. PHOTO: Wānaka App

Project Pure inlet works will be upgraded, and the Hāwea WWTP will be decommissioned and the pond converted to a wastewater ‘calamity basin’.

Hāwea’s existing wastewater treatment plant was built in 1998 and upgraded in 2000; but it doesn’t meet current demand and has been in breach of compliance conditions for years. Since 2022 loads of waste have been trucked each week from Lake Hāwea’s Longview subdivision to Project Pure - with the cost met by Longview developer Universal Developments. 

The Albert Town bridge is a key piece of infrastructure in the process of connecting project Pure to Lake Hāwea, and QLDC has previously confirmed it has been engaging with NZTA Waka Kotahi throughout the development of the design of a new bridge - mooted for 2027-30.

The council said a pipe will be attached to the bridge when it is eventually replaced.

Read more: Two lane upgrade possible for Albert Town Bridge

“We have been working closely with NZTA on plans for the UCWWCS and don’t expect any replacement to occur prior to the completion of the project,” a QLDC spokesperson said this week.