Bay of Plenty Regional Council Ford Road Pump Station Replacement Project Update
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has completed the Options Assessment phase for the Ford Road Pump Station replacement project.
The current pump station system is nearing the end of its useful life, and needs replacement in order to maintain safe operation and current service levels.
Our aim is to provide a safe, reliable and efficient drainage system to the lower Kaituna catchment area that meets modern standards.
The option selected to proceed to the resource consent phase is referred to as Option 1A, which involves the following proposed works:
- Construction of a new pump station at the end of Diagonal Drain immediately adjacent to the existing pump station at this location (this is approximately 2km upstream of the Ford Road site)
- Removal of the existing Pump Station at the Ford Road site
- Extension of the existing culvert and stop bank works at the end of the drain at the Ford Road Site.
- Drain widening works.
Funding has recently been approved in the BOPRC Long Term Plan 2021-2031 for this option.
The Ford Road pump station is a key asset in the Kaituna Catchment Rivers and Drainage Control Scheme. It's maintained by Council on behalf of the community.
The pump station:
- Reduces the risk of damage to people, property and pasture by clearing flood waters within three days for all but the largest rainfall events.
- Supports productive use of low lying land on the eastern side of the lower Kaituna catchment by maintaining ground water levels below the pasture root zone in the serviced area.
BOPRC are considering the installation of two different types of pumps at the new pump station – referred to as the Axial Pump Option or Archimedes Pump Option. Both options will be proposed as part of the resource consent application and a decision made at a later stage as to which pump is installed.
We are currently undertaking further ecological assessments and preparing the information required for the resource consent applications to lodge with the BOPRC and WBOPDC.
In addition to the above, we are engaging an Archeologist to prepare an Archeological Assessment for the proposal and will be seeking an archeological authority from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.
What's next?
Regional Council is engaging with key stakeholders to achieve the best outcome for this project. We will share more information on the project once next steps are confirmed.
