56 | ENGINEERING Impact Engineering Automotive | 4x4 | Turbo | Diesel Injection Marine | Auto Electrical DIESEL DONE RIGHT. 67 Koromiko Street, Judea, Tauranga 07 578 3320 www.taurangadiesel.co.nz Helping upgrade ageing water infrastructure T T Nick Walker “We’re investing in new IT systems and exploring artificial intelligence to improve quoting, technical responses and efficiency, while continuing to develop our product range.” New Zealand’s water infrastructure has a lot of catching up to do: ageing networks, increasing demand and a backlog of work mean councils and infrastructure providers face a growing need to repair, replace and upgrade the systems communities rely on every day. For Impact Engineering, that means opportunity, but also responsibility. “When you look at the condition of a lot of New Zealand’s infrastructure, there’s going to be a long-term need for expertise in that area,” says director and general manager, Mark Welten. Founded in 1996 by Ross McOnie, the Tauranga-based business employs around 30 staff and operates two specialised workshops. It has grown significantly over the past five to six years as demand for specialist water and wastewater infrastructure has increased. Its work spans pump stations, pipework, treatment plants and bespoke engineering solutions, with a particular focus on projects where practical engineering knowledge is needed to solve difficult problems. Impact works closely with councils, consultants and major civil contractors, often helping develop solutions, rather than simply delivering someone else’s design. “There’s a practical element there because we’ve got to do the installation,” Mark says. “They think about it as a plan and we’re saying how are you going to do that?” That practical mindset has been evident on projects such as the Te Maunga Wastewater Treatment Plant’s Bioreactor No. 2, where Impact’s considerable scope included the mechanical installation and stainless steel pipework ranging from 25mm to 1200mm in diameter, along with pumps, valves, mixers, platforms, stairs and handrails. At Papamoa’s Opal Drive rising main, it installed 480m of 450mm stainless steel pipe to demanding specifications, including 100% internal and external weld passivation, which was confirmed by internal video inspections, while 10% of welds were also tested by radiography. Behind that work is an experienced team: Stan Webster has a track record of delivering major work both with Impact and previously, and Brent Jones looks after the business’s local council relationships, managing maintenance and smaller projects across water and wastewater plants and assets. Impact has deliberately positioned itself for projects that demand the highest-quality workmanship, and can apply expertise from Its work spans pump stations, pipework, treatment plants and bespoke engineering solutions, with a particular focus on projects where practical engineering knowledge is needed to solve difficult problems. adjacent sectors such as geothermal and petrochemical engineering, and civil infrastructure. “We started shaping the business to meet the higher specs and standards that were coming in,” Mark says. That combination of experience and willingness to solve problems is also behind a range of innovations. When a client had problems removing water meters, Impact designed a specialist tool to do the job. On the Opal Drive project, staff built another tool to achieve some of the most demanding welding work. Now, the company is applying that problem-solving mindset to its own operations. “We’re investing in new IT systems and exploring artificial intelligence to improve quoting, technical responses and efficiency, while continuing to develop our product range,” Mark says. “We want to expand our service throughout New Zealand too,” he says, noting that maintaining a measured growth curve has allowed the business to build its reputation sustainably. For a country facing years of work to bring its water networks up to standard, that combination of practical expertise, innovation and specialist capability could prove increasingly valuable.
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