About 10km of community drinking water pipes will be renewed in the next seven months as part of a $4.2 million package of work awarded to Rooney Earthmoving recently.

Infrastructure and Open Spaces Group Manager Neil McCann said the pipes to be renewed were aging and in some cases over 50 years old.

“The biggest project amongst this package of work is replacing the watermain along State Highway 1 from Johnstone Street to Hassal Street. That’s about one kilometre of pipe and the work will be on the western side of the highway on the road reserve, so traffic disruption should be minimal.”

Part of the pipe was installed under Lagmhor Road last year when the new traffic lights were installed.

Other water pipes will be renewed in Ashburton, Methven, Rakaia, Fairton and Hinds, with work programmed to start mid-July and run until 30 January next year.

Watermains to be renewed include:

Ashburton: Philip Street, Tancred Street, Mason Place, Grove Street, Chalmers Avenue, Archibald Street.
Methven: Talbot Place, Farquhar Place, Lilley Place, Macphail Place, Spaxton Street.
Rakaia: Elizabeth Avenue East, Elizabeth Avenue West, Railway Terrace West.
District-wide: Fairfield Avenue (Fairton), David Street (Hinds).

Mr McCann said a separate $1m contract was awarded to Fulton Hogan and would include rural watermain renewals, at Longs Ford Road (Methven) and at Taverners Road (Dromore).

Council operates 10 community drinking water supplies, providing safe drinking water to 70 per cent of the district’s population.