Kaikohe secondary water source by mid-2023
The Deep Bore Project at Tokareireia (Monument Hill) in Kaikohe should be providing the town with a reliable secondary water source by June this year.
The Deep Bore Project at Tokareireia (Monument Hill) in Kaikohe should be providing the town with a reliable secondary water source by June this year.
Central to the project is the new 120-metre-deep bore which has been drilled deeper into an aquifer than existing Monument Hill water supply bores. The new second bore will only be used if the town’s main water source, the Wairoro Stream, is running low. The bore will provide approximately 350 cubic metres a day of drinking water to the Kaikohe community when required.
Over the next six weeks the new bore and pump will be flushed, as water treatment processes and electrical operations are tested by council contractors. The project is due to be fully commissioned by June.
It was hoped the project would be running by summer 2022/23, but supply chain delays, as well as a series of storms over recent months have impacted the project with resources temporarily reallocated to emergency works.
Physical works have included installing a pump, connecting the bore to the Monument Hill Water Treatment Plant, connecting electricity and fibre, bore head and pipe works, pressure testing of the water supply pipeline, and construction of an access road. Upgrades to the existing water treatment plant have also been part of the project. The new purpose-built facility meets the compliance requirements of Taumata Arowai (the water services regulator for Aotearoa) of enabling continuous online monitoring of the water supply by the regulator.
Drinking water for Kaikohe is drawn from two sources – about 70 per cent from Wairoro Stream and 30 per cent from an existing bore at Tokareireia. Water from both sources is treated.
Iwi have approved the project, which has a budget of $1.18 million. You can find out more about the Kaikohe drought resilience project at this link.
Main photo - the new bore and pump house.
Below - flush testing of the new bore and pump will be carried out over six weeks from the end of March 2023.
Below - the new purpose-built water treatment plant will allow for continuous online monitoring.
Below - facilities at Tokareireia (Monument Hill) have been upgraded as part of the project.
