Howard Road water pipe renewal
We are renewing the ageing drinking water pipe in Howard Road on behalf of Hutt City Council to improve the resilience and reliability of the network and reduce the risk of land slippage.
If you have any questions about this work, please contact:
Wellington Water, 04 912 4400
Latest Updates
In the coming week, the team is going to be working down the middle of Howard Road, with further trenching and pipelaying.
Work is progressing steadily with further trenching, digging and pipelaying work in Howard Road.
Due to the Waitangi Day public holiday, there is no work on site on Monday or Tuesday.
Physical works renewing the pipe start the week beginning 15 January 2024.
The works are being completed in four stages as outlined below and this is expected to take around four months to complete.
Howard Road will be closed to vehicles in sections where works are underway from 7:30am and reopened at 4:30pm every working day, Monday to Friday.
Pedestrian access will remain open throughout. No work will be done on public holidays or weekends, so the road will remain open.
Works programme:
Stage 1
Location: 59 Howard Rd to 2 Ngaumatu Road
Timeframe: Commenced 15 Jan - expected to finish end of March.
Once finished with this section most residents will have normal access, excluding 67 Howard Road and up.
Stage 2
Location: 67 Howard Rd to 90 Howard Rd
Timeframe: To commence immediately after completion of stage 1.
Most residents will have normal access, excluding 67 Howard Road and up.
Stage 3
Location: Reserve area adjacent to 90 Howard Rd.
Timeframe: Still in planning phase requiring consents from the Regional Council to allow the works to progress
Stage 4
Start date to be confirmed. Area of work: Howard Road below the upper intersection with Nikau Road. 53 Howard Rd to 2A Nikau Rd. This work will be phased:
- Phase A - middle section (18 - 74 Howard Rd)
- Phase B - lower section (1 - 16 Howard). The work on this section will impact all residents in Point Howard.
Traffic management will be in place and we will work closely with the community to minimise these impacts as much as possible.
You can download a map of the work stages here
Why are we doing this work?
The pipe has a history of significant leaks which, combined with heavy rainfall, contributed to a large landslide on 14 March 2023 resulting in loss of power and drinking water to 165 homes in Point Howard.
Its complete renewal was accelerated and will improve the resilience and reliability of the network and reduce the risk of further slippage.
What's involved?
The first stage involved slip remediation works led by Hutt City Council and completed in December 2023.
Construction of the new water pipe along Howard Road commences 15 January 2024 and will be done in four stages outlined below. It is expected to take up to four months to complete.
Howard Road will be closed to vehicles in sections where work is underway between the hours of 7:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday. Pedestrian access will remain throughout. No work will be done on public holidays.
You can download a PDF of the map below here
Works programme:
Stage 1
Location: 59 Howard Rd to 2 Ngaumatu Road
Timeframe: Commenced 15 Jan - expected to finish end of March.
Once finished with this section most residents will have normal access, excluding 67 Howard Road and up.
Stage 2
Location: 67 Howard Rd to 90 Howard Rd
Timeframe: To commence immediately after completion of stage 1.
Most residents will have normal access, excluding 67 Howard Road and up.
Stage 3
Location: Reserve area adjacent to 90 Howard Rd.
Timeframe: Still in planning phase requiring consents from the Regional Council to allow the works to progress
Stage 4
Start date to be confirmed. Area of work: Howard Road below the upper intersection with Nikau Road. 53 Howard Rd to 2A Nikau Rd. This work will be phased:
- Phase A - middle section (18 - 74 Howard Rd)
- Phase B - lower section (1 - 16 Howard). The work on this section will impact all residents in Point Howard.
As the road is narrow, the works will result in traffic disruptions as well as some loss of parking and property access at times as the renewal progresses.
Traffic management will be in place and we will work closely with the community to minimise these impacts as much as possible.
Hutt City Council has completed the remedial works and Wellington Water crews are now on site.
Here is our work programme – please note, these timings are weather dependant.
- Nikau Road to Ngaumatau Road – nine weeks. This first portion of work is the most difficult and will take the longest due to the narrowness of the road and the need to backfill every day.
- Ngaumatau Road to number 90 Howard Rd – three weeks.
- Reserve section – works to replace the pipe in the reserve area are still in the planning phase as consents are needed from the Regional Council to allow the works to progress; this will not involve any significant road closures or residential impacts.
- Howard Road below the Nikau Road intersection – starting in April 2024.
All Updates
We have received an inquiry regarding whether residents could be informed on days when Howard Road is going to be partially open. Unfortunately, we can’t do this because the situation can change rapidly in terms of having to move diggers and other heavy equipment and the focus is on ensuring safety at all times. We will continue to provide updates by text message regarding any changes.
We really appreciate the way residents are co-operating with the team to ensure safe access through the work site. Residents have been very good about waiting outside the work area until one of the team has informed the digger operator to stand down and given the resident(s) the go ahead to walk through. There’s always a risk of people relaxing more as time progresses though, so please everyone, keep up these good health and safety practices and make sure you have made eye contact with one of the team and that you have been given the go ahead to walk through before proceeding.
Thank you everyone, for your patience while we carry out this work. Wellington Water is committed to working with residents to balance your needs with the requirement to progress works safely and efficiently.
We may need to action a water shutdown, potentially on Thursday, in order to connect a new temporary water pipe.
A notice will be provided to confirmed this. so please keep checking your mailboxes.
Otherwise, work will be on the same lines as the past week. The trenching work requires the crew to locate individual property connections, so you may have one of the team calling at your home to ask to locate services on your property. This will not be disruptive.
We really appreciate the way residents are co-operating with the team to ensure safe access through the work site. Residents have been very good about waiting outside the work area until one of the team has informed the digger operator to stand down and given the resident(s) the go ahead to walk through. There’s always a risk of people relaxing more as time progresses though, so please everyone, keep up these good health and safety practices and make sure you have made eye contact with one of the team and that you have been given the go ahead to walk through before proceeding.
Thank you everyone, for your patience while we carry out this work. Wellington Water is committed to working with residents to balance your needs with the requirement to progress works safely and efficiently.
The crew has been doing their best to accommodate residents’ access needs and continuing to work with Point Howard Association to communicate any changes to road closures as they occur through the Association’s text messaging service.
For any queries or questions, please email - pthowardassn@gmail.com
Work will be continuing on Howard Road from Wednesday. The trenching work requires the crew to locate individual property connections, so just a reminder that you may have one of the team calling at your home to ask to locate services on your property. This will not be disruptive.
Again, we appreciate everyone’s patience while we carry out this work. Wellington Water is committed to working with residents to balance your needs with the requirement to progress works safely and efficiently.
The crew has been doing their best to accommodate residents’ access needs and continuing to work with Point Howard Association to communicate any changes to road closures as they occur through the Association’s text messaging service.
Stage 1
Location: 59 Howard Rd to 2 Ngaumatu Road
Underway, expected to finish end of March.
Once finished with this section most residents will have normal access, excluding 67 Howard Road and up.
Stage 2
Location: 67 Howard Rd to 90 Howard Rd
Timeframe: To commence immediately after completion of stage 1.
Most residents will have normal access, excluding 67 Howard Road and up.
Stage 3
Location: Reserve area adjacent to 90 Howard Rd.
Timeframe: Still in planning phase requiring consents from the Regional Council to allow the works to progress
Stage 4
Start date to be confirmed. Area of work: Howard Road below the upper intersection with Nikau Road. 53 Howard Rd to 2A Nikau Rd. This work will be phased:
Phase A - middle section (18 - 74 Howard Rd)
Phase B - lower section (1 - 16 Howard). The work on this section will impact all residents in Point Howard.
Again, where the works require the road to be closed, we will continue providing the shuttle and parking arrangements.
The crew has also installed a temporary watermain above ground in the area of Howard Road around the junction with 2 Ngaumatau Road. This is needed because the road is so narrow in this area that the new watermain will need to sit right next to the old watermain. Excavating next to the old main is risky so the temporary water main will ensure supply while excavation is underway.
From Monday, January 29
Stage 1 trenching work to install the new watermain is underway. The work will start from the Ngaumatau Road junction with Howard Road and progress up to 59 Howard Road. This is expected to take around two months to complete.
Due to the nature of Howard Road, locating all individual property connections is proving challenging. The crew will be continuing to do this. So, you may see one of the team come and knock on your door and ask to locate services on your property. This will not be disruptive.
Thank you, we appreciate everyone’s patience while we carry out this work. Wellington Water is committed to working with residents to balance your needs with the requirement to progress works safely and efficiently.
During works
- Your postie is trying to deliver mail outside of the road closure times but, if this can’t be done, mail will be held at the Eastbourne Four Square.
- Send a ‘fob request’ form to savage.glenn@gmail.com if you want to use the parking area by the boat ramp in Seaview Marina.
- The shuttle is operating during pedestrian access times (7.30-9am, 12-12.30pm and 3-4.30pm) and will run from the marina carpark at the bottom of the hill up to the road closure on Howard Road.
With the road closed on Mondays, residents can leave any kerbside collections at the wide area on Howard Road located uphill of the intersection of Howard Road and Nikau Road (the upper intersection at 35 Nikau / 59 Howard Rd) as shown
Point Howard works - collection points - Jan/Feb 2024