TLC for critical assets

Water and wastewater pump stations across Christchurch are currently being refurbished by Citycare Property to update the city council buildings which are a critical part of the community’s infrastructure assets.

Pump stations house the infrastructure which runs the pipe network and ensures there’s water when residents turn on taps in their homes and that wastewater is piped from homes to the city’s treatment plants.

The pump station maintenance work includes structural strengthening, ventilation and lighting upgrades, painting, tree trimming, grounds work, carpentry and drainage repairs, re-roofs and steel reinforcement work, the Manager of Capital Projects Aidy Hodson says.

“It’s great for our team to deliver much-needed maintenance on crucial assets such as these pump stations because ultimately it benefits the lives of families in our community,” Aidy says.

Phase one of the pump station improvement project involves more than 100 sites and is estimated to complete in December 2022 for the Christchurch City Council, he says.

Citycare Property’s Capital Projects Team is project managing the upgrades and utilising Citycare carpenters, painters, ventilation and open spaces teams to undertake the refurbishment programme.

“This is a logistically difficult project as there are not only multiple stations to schedule, but each one is different and needs varying degrees of maintenance depending on the state of building,” Aidy says.

There are also extra security, access and strict health and safety procedures and considerations as the pump stations are critical for the protection of the city’s water supply.