Christchurch's ageing water infrastructure to get $2.3bn investment

Tuesday, 22 June 2021

Of the $2.3b, drinking water infrastructure gets the highest amount of investment, with $836 million over the 10 years. (File photo)

Ageing infrastructure for Christchurch’s drinking water, wastewater and stormwater will be repaired and strengthened over the next 10 years thanks to over $2 billion of local investment.

Christchurch City Council has approved $2.3b of capital spending on the city’s three waters infrastructure in this year’s 10-year budget, the long term plan (LTP).

The LTP was ratified on Monday, with no councillors voting against the proposed three waters spending. The plan is expected to be formally adopted on Wednesday.

The investment comes as the Government progresses with its reform of the three waters sector.

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Christchurch will spend slightly less over the next decade than two of New Zealand’s other major cities.

Auckland Council has budgeted $4b for three waters, while Wellington City Council has set aside $2.4b.

Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel says it is “very pleasing” that a significant amount of money has been set aside for three waters infrastructure.

Christchurch’s $2.3b spend is expected to account for about 40 per cent of the council’s total spend on physical infrastructure projects in the next 10 years.

Cr Pauline Cotter, who chairs the three waters committee, said the council was committed to delivering its core services well.

“This council is recognising what people want [and] what they've asked for,” she said.

Mayor Lianne Dalziel said she was appreciative that councillors agreed to continue to invest “in this most important part of our city’s network”.

The council was not able to break down the $2.3b figure further on Tuesday.

A spokesman refused to provide the amount set aside for each area of three waters, saying they would be released once the LTP is adopted, likely on Wednesday.

However, the figures the council put out for public consultation showed it wanted to set aside $836 million from the $2.3b for drinking water infrastructure.

The council has already spent millions upgrading drinking water infrastructure in a push to remove chlorine from the water.

The council intends to apply for an exemption from mandatory chlorination, which will be enforced when a new water regulator comes into force as part of the Government’s water reforms.

The council hopes to get chlorine removed from all of Christchurch's water by the end of this year.

The city’s water pipes are plagued by leaks. About 14 per cent are in very poor condition and are expected to fail within the next one or two years.

Initial estimates suggested Christchurch lost 11.64 billion litres of water in the 2019/20 financial year, which is the equivalent of 31.9m litres every day, or 90 Olympic-size swimming pools a week.

Consultation documents showed the council is also proposing to spend $798m on its wastewater infrastructure, with the majority of those funds going towards renewing “ageing or damaged assets” in poor condition.

Stormwater infrastructure is likely to get $695m, the majority of the money being spent on new treatment facilities as well as replacing and renewing pump stations, pipes and drains.

While councils have used LTPs to invest in three waters, the Government is pushing ahead with reforms to the sector.

It has proposed transferring the responsibility for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater from councils to new mega-regional entities.

The reforms have previously been described as opt-in or opt-out, with councils themselves having the final say over whether they want to join the scheme.

Councils in Canterbury have previously criticised the pace of the Government’s reforms and say they want to see local analysis before deciding to opt in. They must decide before the end of the year.

The reforms come in the wake of the 2016 Havelock North contamination that left 5000 people ill, with four related deaths.