Long Term Community Plan 2012-2022 - Hurunui District Council

www.hurunui.govt.nz
We will continue to make application for this subsidy yearly
from the Ministry of Health, wherever we see opportunity
within the constraints of the set and strict criteria applicable to
qualify for an adjudicated consideration.
Effort is continually on-going to establish the useful lifespan of
underground and fixed water supply assets. Most of the urban
reticulation is AC pipe (older community areas prior to early
1970’s) and PVC for new sub-divisions and replacement sections
of the current infrastructure.
Pipe material has performed satisfactorily since installation,
but renewal is anticipated for much of this over the next 20
years or so. We have been undertaking a renewal programme
for some years, which will continue so that the cost is spread
out rather than peaking at once. Expected life for AC is 60
years and 80 years for PVC and polyethylene (PE). Some AC
pipe has experienced wall softening, thus demanding repair
or replacement. This effect is localised in all networks, but
the frequency of pipe failure is closely monitored to ensure
replacement is carried out at the optimum time.
External and internal stresses determine the useful life of all
assets. The inability to pin-point these means approximate
values are applied to useful service lives. This implies that
renewal priorities are spontaneous (reactive based on incidents
of breakages), rather than being confidently known (proactive
based on scientific data). Better scientific information around
the pipeline infrastructure (sectional investigations for condition
ratings) could swing this approach to the NAMS best practice
asset management outcomes, but comes at a high initial cost.
Sectional Investigation Programmes (SIP) will be initiated to
selected schemes over the next three years to make inroads
towards this desirable outcome and improved proactive
forecasted replacement/renewal maintenance programmes.
We recognise risks associated with failure to supply safe drinking
water on public health and potential failure to supply where
natural disasters have the capacity to damage reticulation. The
rural character of the district means immediate assistance may
be limited at such times. We hold limited pipe and fittings stock
at each depot (dormant cash flows) and have built-in generators
or external plugs at some of the main pump stations. Reservoir
back-up when intakes are out of commission is very limited
(except for Hanmer Springs – tank farm). Operators and plant,
located at each depot, are a first point of call through these risk
associated periods identified.
All water networks operate under approved resource consents
to take water. Conditions are set with council utilities staff and
are administered by Canterbury Regional Council (Environment
Canterbury - ECan). All intakes are within consented limits at
present. It is assumed that future demand will be able to be
met with the capital projects planned and that the consents for
such will continue to be renewed as necessary and be able to
be complied with.
Council Utilities Team undertake emergency repairs to
the main line on the Waipara Water Scheme.
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