The Far North District Council’s biggest-ever infrastructure project has been a gamechanger for Kerikeri, future-proofing the town for growth and improving the quality of life – and the environment – by removing the need for hundreds of septic tanks.
About the Project
With the existing Shepherd Road treatment plant at full capacity, the town was crying out for a new wastewater facility – one that would help accommodate the droves of new residents and businesses establishing themselves in the Far North’s fastest growing urban centre.
Stellar Projects was delighted to be part of the long-term solution, project managing delivery of the new plant and its wastewater reticulation (which included directional drilling to install the new sewers, the installation of pump stations and control boxes to take the wastewater from homes to the public street sewer, and the laying of pipe and a boundary kit between the pump station and the public sewer).
Just three kilometres out of town, the Okura Drive wastewater plant was completed in October 2020 and properties were switched over to the new system by May the following year. Now, more than 1400 central Kerikeri properties are reaping the benefits. Delivering three times the capacity of the old facility, the new plant can treat 1000 cubic metres of wastewater a day, and the scheme’s Area of Benefit (AOB) has expanded by 28.5 kms, enabling an additional 350 properties to connect to the sewerage network. It’s a huge win for the town, and all those who live there.
