42 | REGIONAL Apex Water T T Kim Newth Recognition for Raglan upgrade Apex Water is a leading design-and-build provider across New Zealand for municipal water and wastewater infrastructure. “It could easily have taken a year or more longer – and doubled the cost - had we not approached it in this way. In addition, we were able to achieve that shorter timeframe without any loss of quality.” In its first year as a member of Civil Contractors New Zealand (CCNZ), Apex Water Ltd is winning acknowledgement as one of the sector’s best. In July, Apex Water was delighted to receive a Merit Award in the over $20m project category at the Waikato CCNZ Hynds Construction Awards 2026 for its work upgrading the Raglan Wastewater Treatment Plant. The substantial upgrade, which includes new headworks and an advanced biological treatment process, has improved wastewater discharge consent compliance and boosted future resilience. Membrane bioreactor technology was used by Apex Water to replace outdated oxidation ponds and improve treatment standards. As part of the project, the site’s solar farm was also removed and reinstated. “We’re very pleased to have won this award,” says Mike Evans, Apex Water project manager, adding that it was an honour shared with their project team, delivery partners, subcontractors and suppliers. Apex Water is a leading design-and-build provider across New Zealand for municipal water and wastewater infrastructure. A hallmark of this award winning upgrade is how speedily it was delivered. Rather than running it as a step by step design, tender and build process, Apex Water’s integrated design-and-build process slashed the project timeline. “It could easily have taken a year or more longer – and doubled the cost - had we not approached it in this way. In addition, we were able to achieve that shorter timeframe without any loss of quality.” During construction, Membrane Aerated Bio Reactor (MABR) modules were incorporated into the plant to accommodate future flow requirements without the need for additional costly civil works. MABR is a cutting edge technology for wastewater treatment and the Raglan plant is one of only three sites in New Zealand to have it. “MABR essentially enables a higher capacity of treatment in a smaller area – it makes the whole process much more efficient.” This technology coupled with other changes has almost doubled the plant’s design flow capacity – from 3.5 MLD to 6 MLD - effectively future proofing the plant and making it more resilient. To make way for the works, solar panels that had only recently been installed had to be removed and then re-installed at a different location near the plant. This was done successfully. On sunny days, the solar farm runs the plant and puts power back into the grid - a real win for sustainability. Peter Crabb, client project manager, says Apex’s focus on project resilience made them an ideal partner for this pivotal infrastructure upgrade: “Apex has set a new benchmark for wastewater treatment in the Waikato region.” Apex is a nationwide leader in water and wastewater solutions. The company currently has impactful new projects underway at opposite ends of the country. In the Waikato, Apex is progressing three other projects in parallel in Ngāruawahia, Rāhui Pōkeka/Huntly and Te Kauwhata. In the Manapouri area, their team is also delivering the design, construction and operation of a new wastewater treatment plant at Kepler Block in Southland. Apex Water has also been selected as a national finalist for another outstanding project.
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