An innovative wastewater design idea will save the city millions of dollars in the Southern Pipeline project. City engineers have suggested building a pipe between proposed Memorial Park and Graham Park pumping stations, which instead of lying flat would rise to a peak at the half way point.

Barry Somers, council project manager.

The pipe's gradient creates an emergency storage for both pumping stations, and when either half spills over, the other pumping station takes up the load – meaning no emergency storage tanks need be constructed.
Originally Tauranga City Council was going to have to buy these storage tanks or build a 2.5 metre tunnel under 10th Avenue at a total cost of over $20 million, but now, with a smaller pipe of 600mm diameter on the two gradients it is estimated the total project will cost just $16.9 million.
Tauranga City Councillor Bill Faulkner was impressed with the solution.
'It seems an eminently sensible thing. Well done the staff for a bit of left field thinking there.”