| 49 T T Karen Phelps Good progress on complex project The upgrade will replace three existing oxidation ponds with a state-of-the-art mechanical plant. Spartan Construction: Paeroa Wastewater Plant REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Spartan Construction is making significant progress on the Paeroa Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade, Hauraki District Council’s single largest infrastructure project in history. The upgrade will replace three existing oxidation ponds with a state-of-the-art mechanical plant, which is designed to achieve a higher-quality discharge to meet with environmental standards. The new plant will be less than 1/5th the footprint of the existing system. The design-and-build contract commenced design in February 2024, shortly followed by establishment on site in September 2024. Spartan Construction project manager Chris McGillivray says the project was presented with significant challenges from the outset, with an extremely tight time frame for design completion. “The most critical part of the project was getting the earthworks and underground services completed last summer,” says Spartan Construction project manager Chris McGillivray. “The team has successfully delivered this portion of the scope and is now working on structural aspects of the build.” He says Spartan Construction has had to navigate complex ground conditions requiring innovative engineering solutions. “Paeroa has quite soft ground in the site location, and so without ground improvements there was estimated settlement of over 300mm once the new structures were constructed,” explains Chris. “We had rigid inclusions installed, where a piling rig drilled down to 17 metres depth, and pumped the holes full of grout. Over 500 rigid inclusions have been installed to achieve the design tolerance for settlement of the completed structures of less than 50mm.” The project also involves construction of a new screening system, concrete aeration tanks over six metres in height, Veolia’s membrane bioreactor technology, new buildings, 240kL sludge storage tanks, chemical dosing and numerous other ancillary structures. “It’s been really challenging, but we are making great progress. We have a great team on board from Hauraki District Council, Veolia, and other key partners,” says Chris. “It’s enabled us to keep this complex infrastructure, including civil, structural, mechanical and electrical engineering aspects, on track. There are lots of moving parts.” Chris says Spartan Construction prides itself on delivering high-quality projects through innovative solutions to complex engineering problems. It adopts a collaborative approach to contracting with free-flowing communication. “We take pride in delivering local projects to a really high quality to council and stakeholders,” says Chris. “This project is currently tracking on time and on budget, and we’re very happy with where things are at the moment.” The project forms part of a 10-year, $100 million investment in wastewater infrastructure across the district that began three years ago. Chris says this upgrade is sized to meet Paeroa’s growth needs up to 2035 in its first phase, with provisions made for stage 2 growth catering to 2050 requirements. Construction work on the Paeroa Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade is expected to continue through to early 2026, with the new plant scheduled to be fully commissioned by mid-2026. Spartan Construction was established in 2005, and has grown to become one of the leading medium-sized civil construction companies in the Waikato region, employing over 50 permanent staff. It has completed over 100 projects in the water and wastewater sector alone, and currently has five wastewater treatment plant upgrades underway across the upper North Island. Proudly supporting Spartan Construction Ltd SUPPLY | CUT & BEND | PREFAB | INSTALL 027 598 5887 | reliancereinforcing.co.nz | info@reliancereinforcing.co.nz The strength behind your projects. Largest Range of Bolted Storage Tanks in NZ - Trusted, Proven and Reliable Stainless Steel - Glass Fused to Steel - Fusion Bonded Epoxy and Liner Tanks Call: 0800 826 526 E: salesnz@tasmantanks.co.nz W: www.tasmantanks.co.nz
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=