Wellington Hospital's hot and cold copper water pipes were found to be riddled with tiny pinholes in 2016. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Wellington Hospital is at least three years away from completing a $90 million fixit job on kilometres of faulty water pipes.
On-and-off work to fix the nearly new pipes has closed beds and disrupted operating theatres for years.
Te Whatu Ora said the first phase of repairs had been held up by having to wait seven months for imported pipe, and also by having to clear asbestos on level three.
The $40m phase two involved replacing the pipes in all 25-plus inpatient wards.
To keep bed numbers up, two new wards were being built, including one on the roof of the main building.
"Wellington Regional Hospital is at, or over capacity most days," the agency said.
The hot and cold water copper pipes were discovered to be riddled with tiny pinholes in 2016.
Legal action by the district health board was settled out of court by multiple contractors and consultants in 2020.
"Increased material and labour costs due to Covid-19", and various lockdowns and workarounds, had complicated the project, the agency said.
Asbestos removal would prepare level three of the CSB building ahead of the urology outpatient department moving there, to make space on level seven of the main building for an extra ward to decant patients into.
Te Whatu Ora said both phases were expected to be completed in late 2026, then closed off formally in 2027.