Ashburton District Council will this week begin carrying out its annual wastewater pipe rehabilitation works around parts of Hampstead, and affected residents are being advised the work may temporarily impact their services.

Properties south of Wellington Street on Eton, Cambridge, Oxford and Church Streets as well as on Beatty Crescent will be visited by the Council's contractors to insert structural pipelining inside the wastewater pipes.

The work will involve the contractors having to access sewer manholes on people's properties, and residents may be asked to limit discharging wastewater into the system while the work is carried out.

The rehabilitation programme is set to start today (9 March) and is expected to be completed by 20 March.

A letter outlining the project has been sent to affected residents. The contractors, Pipe Technologies and Ashburton Contracting Ltd will be liaising directly with residents to limit any disruptions as much as possible.

Council Infrastructure Services Group Manager, Neil McCann says the programme is a necessary part of maintaining the infrastructure and ensuring it continues to work correctly.

"We regularly monitor the condition of our wastewater networks and identify any areas that require rehabilitation.

"Carrying out this work will help to increase the longevity of the infrastructure and protect the service from any potential leaks."

The new pipelining is inserted inside the original pipe and this limits the need for any digging to access the network.

Affected residents with any concerns are encouraged to contact Pipe Technologies on 06 755 0309 or call the Council on 03 307 7700.