Work is due to start this month to replace an old sewer pipe under Gilbert Street that dates back to the 1930s. Photo: Supplied / New Plymouth District Council
- A 92-year-old pipe in New Plymouth is at risk of spilling sewage
- It will be replaced with a new PVC pipe
- Some sewer pipes in the city are more than 100 years old
- New Plymouth District Council is investing $248 million to fix its plumbing
- 900 metres of old sewer pipe was replaced in the 2022-23 financial year
- About 1400 metres is scheduled for renewal this financial year
A more than 90-year-old sewer pipe that risks spilling sewage into New Plymouth's dress circle is to be replaced this month.
The clay pipe has carried wastewater from Pukekura Park and 600 homes in the central city since 1932.
The ground around the 67 metres of pipe in Gilbert Street - between Liardet Street and Victoria Road - has shifted, causing it to sag and come apart at the joints risking causing a sewage spill or blockage.
New Plymouth District Council Three Waters Network Manager Jaco Beeslaar said work to dig up the old pipe and replace it with a tougher PVC pipe would begin on 15 August and take up to three weeks.
"It's a tricky job as we have to keep the wastewater moving as we carry out the work. We'll be closing that section of Gilbert Street to vehicles while the work is underway and we'd like to thank people who live and drive through the area for bearing with us."
Beeslaar said some of the sewer pipes in the central suburbs of New Plymouth dated back more than 100 years.
"For example, pipes in Gover Street were laid in 1905 and in parts of Pendarves Street in 1912. We're replacing them as they wear out so we can future-proof our infrastructure and because we're committed to environmental excellence as part of our Sustainable Lifestyle Capital."
The work would run past the Gilbert Street entrance to Pukekura Park, but pedestrian access would remain open.