Sewerage costs under scrutiny

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 241, 26 April 1988, Page 1

Sewerage costs under scrutiny

Costs of the Pipiriki Sewerage Scheme are under scrutiny by the District Council and Engineers Payne Sewell Ltd. The system designed by Payne Sewell was originally chosen because of the low price, but tenders received to do the job are much higher than predicted. Mr Graeme Young from Payne Sewell asked the council at the works and reserves meeting Wednesday April 20 for permission to discuss the prices with the tenderers. He believes some of the firms offering tenders may have misunderstood the documents which called for the tenders, causing the price to be too high.

An alternative proposal was suggested at the meeting whereby the council staff would do the work provided Payne Sewell did the engineering. Council Works Supervisor Craig Ryland offered the alternative which involved a six inch pipe system and a 'fully fledged' sewage treatment system. He believes the alternative system would cost no more than the original scheme, which involves secondary treatment of septic tank effluent. Mr Young pointed out that the type of system proposed by Mr Ryland would need more manhole covers and that an under utilised oxidation pond would cause probTurn page 6

Sewerage costs under scrutiny

From page 1 lems. He said the extra manhole covers and the larger pipe would cost "a lot of money". Works and Reserves committee chairman Ken Summerhays said the council had not negotiated with the Pipiriki residents. "But we are all for a scheme for Pipiriki." Mayor Garrick Workman said if the scheme Mr Ryland proposed was feasible within costs then the council should look at it. Mr Young said he had to stress to the council that the scheme his company proposed was an acceptable disposal system. Finally a meeting with Craig Ryland and the engineers was planned to discuss the feasibility of his proposal before any further action was taken.