Meremere Wastewater Treatment Plant Civil Upgrade

Water quality upgrade success

PROJECT: Meremere Wastewater Treatment Plant Civil Upgrade CONTRACTOR: Civil + Build

CLIENT: Apex Water (Working for Watercare Services)

VALUE: $2.7m

Civil + Build completed the Meremere Wastewater Treatment Plant in the North Waikato, between November 2020 and December 2021, working with Apex Water, for Watercare Services.

This was a design and build project, with Chester Consultants completing the design. The works included a complete upgrade to the existing plant, which had to be completed while keeping the existing plant operational. A quarter of the existing treatment pond had to be reclaimed under live conditions. This involved constructing a 90m causeway across the pond, which allowed the reclaimed area to be pumped out, undercut, and filled. The causeway minimised cost as it avoided the need for sheet piling and waterproof lining, while also forming the new permanent edge of the pond. The causeway had a bentonite mixed 2 trench through the middle of it to decrease permeability. Ground conditions were extremely poor, and required significant improvements, prior to the installation of the tanks and pipework, and construction of the final slabs and above ground pipework. The end result is a vastly improved water quality discharging from the plant. The aesthetics of the site has also increased significantly, with the construction of new wetlands, and reshaping of the pond. CONSTRUCTION EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2022 CCNZ / HIREPOOL 41