Works to improve Coates Street stormwater system to begin in April

Buller District Council is due to begin stormwater betterment works in Coates Street in April to alleviate stormwater ponding in the area.  

The work will involve installing drainage pipelines and EcoBloc underground stormwater management modules to reduce the impact of stormwater infiltration and ponding.

The EcoBloc modules combine environmental management of rainwater with the opportunity to protect against flooding, by storing stormwater and gradually releasing it back into groundwater reserves.

Manager Infrastructure Delivery Eric de Boer says: “Restricting the outflow of rainwater allows it to be discharged into the stormwater system in a controlled manner. The controlled discharge of rainwater is increasingly important during periods of heavy rain.”

These improvements will allow stormwater from one-in-10-year events of rain intensity to be managed in a way that reduces the amount of water ponding in areas around houses in Coates Street.   

This system is not capable of managing large-scale events where water flows in from the rivers or the sea. 

The EcoBloc modules are brought onsite as fully-functional units, so can be installed onsite quickly with minimal disruption to residents.

Construction works are to commence in April 2024 and be completed in June 2024. There will be approximately 28 onsite working days with minimal disruption to traffic and local residents.

The work is part of a wider $17.1M programme of infrastructure repairs funded by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). This essential infrastructure funding was granted after the July 2021 and February 2022 flood events.

This phase of work is focused on betterment of damaged essential water services infrastructure. It identifies work that can logically and cost-effectively be performed as part of, or directly after, emergency works.

-ENDS-

For more information please contact:
Manager Infrastructure Delivery
Eric de Boer
Eric.deBoer@bdc.govt.nz