Cromwell’s drinking water upgrade may now not be completed until 2026, because contractors have only been able to source two out of three pumps for the job.

Central Otago District Council (CODC) was under pressure to install protozoa barriers for Cromwell, Ranfurly and Patearoa by Christmas, to ensure compliance with New Zealand Drinking Water requirements, under direction from water services regulator Taumata Arowai.

But CODC capital works project manager Patrick Keenan told council last week contractors can’t do the work in Cromwell until May next year, “and the reality is we aren’t going to meet the December deadline unless we pull a rabbit out of a hat and put a temporary protozoa barrier in place”.

Council recently awarded Apex Water the tender to design and construct Cromwell’s new water treatment plant and borefield upgrades, at a cost of $14.7M.

The new water treatment plant and upgraded bores are part of a larger council initiative to meet the increased water demand driven by Cromwell’s population growth.

The water upgrade programme is a multi-stage initiative designed to enhance water capacity and compliance. 

With the pipeline component already completed, the focus has now shifted to Stage 2, which includes detailed design, procurement, and construction of the treatment plant and bore upgrades.

Once complete, the facility will employ advanced ultraviolet (UV) treatment, significantly improving the safety and quality of Cromwell’s water by addressing protozoal risks.

The completion of Stage 2 was originally anticipated by late 2025 - the same as protozoa upgrade work in Ranfurly and Patearoa, both of which were still on track.