Cockayne Road water pipe renewal
On behalf of Wellington City Council, we are renewing a drinking water pipe between Cockayne Road and Imlay Crescent to improve the performance and reliability of the network.
If you have any questions about this work, please contact:
Wellington Water, 04 912 4400
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Why are we doing this work
The cast iron water main laid in 1925 running between Cockayne Road and Imlay Crescent forms an integral part of water supply to the Onslow zone. The pipe was taken out of service following a failure in June 2024.
Water supply services are currently being provided via a supplementary feed from the Mount Kaukau Reservoir. This is a temporary solution until work can be undertaken to bring the pipe back into service, restoring the network to normal operations.
As we approach the summer period, reinstatement of the pipe is required to meet the predicted increase in water demand.
While services have been restored, the current network configuration is a temporary solution with water supply service pressures for the Onslow supply zone reduced. There is also extra pressure on the Mount Kaukau Reservoir providing water supply to another area and increased risk of supply failure in the area should other failures in the network occur.
With increased water demand expected over summer, urgent work is needed to ring the pipe back into service to reinstate the network to normal operations and restore water supply service pressures.
What's involved?
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Planning is now underway to repair and reline the critical drinking water pipeline between Cockayne Road and Imlay Crescent. This pipe plays a vital role in supplying safe, reliable drinking water to many Ngaio households. The temporary fix put in place after the 2024 burst has served us well, but a long-term solution is now needed.
We expect to complete the upgrade by early 2026, using Cured In-Place Pipe Lining (CIPP) — a modern, low-impact method that lets us strengthen the pipe from the inside without digging it up.
This approach will help reduce disruption for residents, keep costs down, and ensure the network remains resilient for years to come.