42 | CONTRACTING Francis Water and Drainage T T Virginia Wright Knowing the old and the new... Francis Water and Drainage is now one of the few smaller, locally-owned companies tendering for jobs, Jonathan Francis has officially been working in the water and drainage industry since 2005, but his experience in the industry started well before then. “My grandfather did this sort of work, so my initial experiences were going with him on jobs throughout my childhood. I was already familiar with a lot of it when I began in 2005,” Jonathan explains. The company Infracon no longer exists, but Jonathan was the youngster (at 28) on that company’s crew when they were renewing the entire underground infrastructure of the main street in Dannevirke at the same time as the above ground, working one block at a time, while the town businesses stayed open. He counts himself lucky, because the people he was working with were in their 60s so while he knew the new technology, they knew how the old systems worked and taught him how to stitch the two together. After working with that crew on different aspects of the urban water scheme, Jonathan then spent several years working for local councils, which meant his historical knowledge of the local network was regularly called on, even when he had moved away. He and his wife, Morgan, and their four children returned to the Manawatu in 2023, and the couple launched Francis Water and Drainage Ltd. It was an easy decision for them to come back to live rurally within easy reach of Feilding, when they decided to set up their own business. “I was ready for a challenge and to offer my expertise and experience in the sector, working on larger projects from costing through to completion. Having more flexibility for my family is a welcome bonus,” Jonathan says. Francis Water and Drainage is now one of the few smaller, locally-owned companies tendering for jobs, he says. “Budgets for new construction are tight right now. We try to keep costs as low as possible for our clients, but it’s imperative that the network is well maintained to ensure reliable water supply. We utilise new technology, such as fusion welding, for the recycled pipe being used now, plus my expertise and experience maintaining, repairing, replacing and finding solutions for vintage pipework is a unique asset in the industry.” It’s a family-owned and operated business with Jonathan still on the tools and running the project management side of things, while Morgan is responsible for the administration side. Richard Illston of RJI Contracting is their right-hand man, and they call on a group of experienced and qualified subcontractors to assist on some projects for earthworks, traffic management and surface reinstatement/ hotmix. Jonathan is often sent in to do expedition work to see what’s in the ground already and figure out how they’re going to “stitch the new job on to the old network”, which typically dates back 100 years. Recently, they had to build a new pipe network without interrupting the old in an industrial area, which included a meat-processing plant that runs 24 hours a day 365 days a year and needs running water. They then had only a two-hour window to successfully switch the network over. Another job involved the only source of water for the Halcomb-Stanway area, the Stanway Reservoir, which holds 40,000 cubic metres of water. “We had to lay the new pipework, then tie the new reservoir into the old existing tank. It’s a rural scheme involving 40 kilometres of pipes keeping all the farms between Feilding and Highway 1 supplied with water,” says Jonathan. Projects include small- and large-scale construction, new water connections and pipework, council and community projects, rural water schemes and the agricultural sector. They work closely with farmers, supplying the water line for pivot irrigators, sorting out drainage and repairing existing water schemes, many of which date back to the ’70s and ’80s. For all your motoring needs we are here to look after you and your vehicle - from an extensive range of New Toyota Vehicles, great Used vehicles, finance & Insurance tailored for you, Toyota parts and Toyota accessories to make your vehicle look awesome, Servicing including tyres, windscreen repairs and replacement and so much more. Always happy to see you and your vehicle.
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