Work on installing an underground sewer pipe destined to carry treated wastewater from Te Anau township to a new dispersal site near the airport has been completed on time and within budget.

The significant milestone was achieved this week on the Te Anau-Manapouri Highway, with the last weld completed as the final act before the pipe finally disappeared under the roadside.

Southland District Council (SDC) Deputy Mayor, Ebel Kremer, said it was a real achievement to bring this part of the project in under the $5 million that had been budgeted.

Mr Kremer said there was still some final tidying up work along the road, which would be finished by the end of the week, and while the final reconciliation was still to be completed, he was confident that the cost would be well within budget.

He acknowledged earlier news of the Pyramid Bridge replacement near Gore, also coming in under budget and hoped this would be an indication of a new environment where projects were consistently completed on time and within budget.

The contractors, Te Anau Earthworks and Fulton Hogan, had been very good to work with, he said.  

“The traffic management around the roadworks during the pipe-laying work was superb with no accidents or incidents.”

Mr Kremer said this was the first stage to be completed of the three-stage project.

Two further stages include the supply and installation of a filter membrane at the Upukerora treatment plant site and a sub-surface disposal irrigation (SDI) plant at the site adjacent to the Te Anau-Manapouri airport.

Financing for the wastewater membrane has been shortlisted as one of the ‘shovel ready’ projects the government is considering to help kick start local economies and get locals working.

Tenders for contracts for the final two stages were expected to be let very soon, Mr Kremer said.

The whole project is expected to be completed by December 2021 and an extension to the current resource consent allowing treated wastewater to be discharged from the treatment plant into the Upukerora River is required until the project is commissioned.