Heavy rainfall event over the weekend caused several sewerage overflows around the city. Warning signs are in place and testing of water quality continues.

Two rounds of water quality testing were carried out during the week, with the second of these carried out yesterday. Results from the second round are expected this evening. Further monitoring will be carried out early next week if results are not clear.

This information from Tauranga City Council weekly bulletin for the week beginning Monday, February 9, published below.

City Waters
Water Supply:
* Residents of Parton Road from Tara Road to Papamoa Beach Road to Ashley Place will be affected by a water shut down on Monday evening 9.00pm through to 5.00am Tuesday morning. Affected residents will be notified by way of a letter drop. There is likely to be one more shutdown on this road as well but the date has yet not been confirmed.
* A water mains break at Chadwick Road has proven to be quite serious. The main was repaired and water was slowly bought back online at 6.30am last Saturday morning. We are currently installing an additional temporary 355mm main overland pipe line as well to divert it around unstable ground, this should be complete by the middle of next week and will allow us to use both pipelines to supply the Cambridge Road reservoirs.
* Another test run has been done at the Oropi booster pump station on Thursday to simulate the loss of the Joyce Road supply. A number of residents in the Ohauiti high areas lost supply or had very low water pressure for a very short time while the systems were changed. This system provides an emergency back up supply for the Joyce Rd supply in the event of the Joyce Road plant failing.
* A mains break on Grove Avenue temporarily affected supply this week. Site restoration has now been completed.
* The watermain replacement in Hillcrest Road and Cameron Street between Elizabeth and Spring Street is progressing. Apollo Street and Pamela Place are due to start February/March.
* The replacement of a pressure reducing valve and installation of a bulk meter is currently underway on Poike Road and this work is due for completion end February.
* The new Ohauiti High Level water supply reservoir is being filled for testing, delayed from last week due to issues elsewhere in the network. The reservoir is due to be into service in March.
* Otumoetai Watermain Upgrade - Connecting up in Otumoetai Road and Waihi Road and installation in Pillans Road and Ruston Avenue
* Fire hydrant marking and servicing continues in the Maunganui and Salisbury area and throughout the city over the next few months
* Backflow Surveys have started in meter Zone 17 (Maungatapu) and Zone 20 (Welcome Bay). This survey will focus on commercial and industrial properties to ascertain if there are any potential operations that could affect the quality of our water network if a cross connection occurred. Home based operation such as hair salons will also be visited. The survey will take most of February and the contractor, (Norman M Ellis Ltd) has a letter of introduction and an Council ID card.

Drainage:
* Up to 120mm of rain fell on Sunday 31st January with a 1 in 20 year event in Papamoa area being recorded. Most of Tauranga received between a 1 in 5 to a 1 in 10 event.
* Work continues on spraying of open drains in the city and is scheduled to carry through to the end of February.
* A short section (15 to 20m) of sewer pipeline is being replaced and regraded in the rear section of a couple of properties in Linton Crescent, Matua. This is due to ongoing pipe sagging issues causing repeat blockages in recent years. Investigations continuing.
* Work has started at Bakels Edible Oils Ltd on replacement and upsizing of a small section of the sewer main within their yard off Hutton Place.

Stormwater Pollution:
* Follow up inspections of scrap metal dealers and auto dismantlers across the city have started. This is in response to audit reports that show where there are stormwater and soil contamination issues.
* Follow up continues with recommendations made to Oil Companies following service station stormwater pollution audits carried out last year and with concrete manufacturing sites. Liaison with these sites will continue over the next few months to ensure all recommendations are implemented.
* Work has started on preparation of a template for a TCC Pollution Prevention Plan. This template will assist business and industry in preparing their own Pollution Prevention Plan which outlines how their operation manages stormwater pollution risks.

Waiari Water Supply Project:
* Three appeals have been received against the resource consents for the construction and operation of a new water intake and treatment plant to serve the Papamoa urban growth area. Tauranga City Council is in discussions with the appellants and parties must report progress to the Environment Court by 26 February 2010.

Water Demand Management Project:
* A pressure management pilot project is being planned for the Poike and Mangatapu areas to reduce night flow water losses. The project comprises the upgrading of pressure control devices and piloting of flow modulating pressure control devices. Implementation will resume in January and pressures and losses will be carefully monitored during the next few months and adjustments made as necessary.

Southern Pipeline:
* Work is continuing on the new 1,300m3 wastewater storage tank and pump station site at Maleme Street with the shell of the tank now completed and all works expected to be completed in June 2010.
* Work is continuing on detailed investigation for the Judea Link emergency management option.

Parks and Leisure
* A large liquidambar tree will be removed in Yatton Park this week due to it being split. A crane will be used for part of the removal.
* Matua Saltmarsh walkways resurfacing nearly completed.
* Mauao - Waitangi Day dawn service on Mauao's summit is on this Saturday. The hikoi starts at 5.30am from the Pilot Bay side of Mauao.
* Record numbers of visitors on Mauao's base track this January. 135,096 people were counted on the Base track.

City Projects
* The first section of boardwalk renewal between Waihi Road and Montgomery Road is complete. The contractor is now working on the second stage between Montgomery Road and Motuopae Way.
* Planning work is currently being undertaken for improvement works at Tye Park (off Forrester Drive, Welcome Bay). Proposed works include upgrading parking and installing a new BBQ and playground. A concrete access path to the toilet will also be installed. This work is being undertaken as part of the management plan for the reserve.
* Tay Street boardwalk is complete - some grass establishment and dune planting will happen later in the year to tidy up the site.
* Gordon Carmichael Reserve - The outdoor classroom is well underway, excavation and forming of footpath and amphitheatre.
* Mount Greens - Building Consent has now been issued for the Amenities Building and Soil Shed.
* Gordon Spratt - Resource Consent has now been issued for the construction of the additional Changing and Storage Facilities on the reserve.

Arataki Community Centre
* The Arataki Community Advisory Group will meet on Monday 8 December to discuss and plan a community open day for the Arataki area. The open day will be used to provide information on the new community centre that will be located on Grenada Park and help get some community input into the development of the community centre.

Transportation
* Bethlehem Roundabout: Construction of the new roundabout on SH2 at Bethlehem west is underway. Work is expected to take about six months to complete. Traffic management and site screens will be in place but only minimal delays are expected in the early stages of construction. Motorists are advised to take care when driving through the work site.
* Parton Road: Work is continuing on laying the new kerb and channel and footpaths. There will be unsealed sections and temporary speed restrictions will be in place. Installation of twin culverts across Parton Road at the Wairakei drainage reserve is continuing. Traffic control is in place and when required, a temporary one way system will be in operation.
* Local Road Resealing: The local road resealing programme is underway and will continue until late March. Generally this work will involve minimal disruption to traffic.
* Links Avenue: Work to remove existing speed humps is continuing. The speed humps are being replaced with speed cushions. There is traffic management in place so please take care when driving in the area and follow the temporary signs.
* Andrew Place/Shelley Street: Work to install new storm water pipes is continuing. Some minor disruption to traffic is possible.
* Vale Street: Work to reshape Vale Street between Baden Street and Landscape Road to form an overland stormwater flow path during severe storms is underway. Kerb and channel is being laid in Vale Street between Baden Street and Hinewa Road. The whole project is likely to take eight months to complete and intermittent disruption to traffic is likely. Please take care when driving in the area.
* Wharf /Willow Streets: Major roadworks are due to start on Wharf and Willow Streets later this month. The work will involve reconstructing and resurfacing the road and installing new kerb and channelling. Additional work includes upgrading the sewer, stormwater, watermains, and some parts of the footpath. While these roadworks are underway, the Bay Hopper Tauranga buses will operate from temporary bus stops on Durham Street. In preparation for this work starting temporary bus shelters have been put on Durham Street, near Baycourt. The work is expected to take approximately three months.
* Temporary Changes to Bus Stops: All Bay Hopper Tauranga bus services that normally stop on, or depart from, Willow and Wharf Streets will be temporarily relocated to Durham Street near Baycourt from Sunday 14 February while essential roadworks are carried out. Signage directing people to the temporary bus stops will be in place. Information on the changes will also be available later this week on buses, in your local library and in the Council Customer Service Centre on Willow Street.