Featherston Watermain Renewals
Project Description
Elite Drainage was engaged by South Wairarapa District Council to renew ageing watermains across Featherston. The project replaced reinforced concrete and asbestos cement mains that had reached the end of their service life, improving water supply resilience for the community. The works covered 12 locations across town, including Fitzherbert Street and Ludlam Street (State Highway 2), Revans, Fox, Birdwood, Lyon, Waite, Crawford and Hickson Streets, Boar Bush Gully Road, and a new section of ring main on Boundary Road.
Our crews installed new PE (HDPE) watermains with electrofusion-welded joints, along with valves, hydrants, rider mains, tees and thrust blocks, and reconnected every property service lateral to new water manifolds. We managed service location and protection, traffic management, trenching, flushing, disinfection and water quality testing, backfilling, compaction testing and full asphalt reinstatement of roads and footpaths.
The project was delivered in two phases from November 2025 to July 2026. Work on State Highway 2 through the town centre was carried out on night shifts to keep traffic and local businesses moving, and a rail corridor crossing on Fox Street was completed with KiwiRail approval. Every connection and cut-in was planned around scheduled water shutdowns, with letter drops and day-to-day liaison so residents and businesses always knew what to expect.
Performance
- Practical completion achieved 17 July 2026.
- All new mains pressure tested, disinfected and water quality tested before being connected to the network.
- Electrofusion welds and trench compaction independently tested and recorded for every street.
- Night works on State Highway 2 delivered with minimal disruption to traffic and town centre businesses.
- Planned water shutdowns communicated to every affected property in advance.
