Tauwharenīkau Pipeline River Crossing Replacement
The Tauwharenīkau River watermain pipe replacement is a key water supply resilience priority for Featherston. Construction is scheduled to begin on 1 December 2025 and is expected to be completed by the end of April 2026.
The project will see the installation of a new pipe crossing, approximately 4m below the riverbed. The works involve trenching and laying new water pipe alongside the existing one.
This project is part of a suite of water infrastructure investment for the South Wairarapa community. From 1 July 2025, the Council took the water capital programme back in-house (previously delivered on Council’s behalf by Wellington Water Ltd) towards efficiency, more cost control, and local contractor delivery where appropriate.
Background
The water supply to Featherston crosses the Tauwharenīkau River via a metal pipe, encased in concrete. Since the crossing was installed, the riverbed has dropped leaving the watermain pipe exposed and vulnerable to failure. In 2022, work began to evaluate potential options to resolve the problem and remedial work was done to maintain the waterpipe.
Project details
This work will take approximately four months, starting from 1 December 2025. Hours of work will generally be 7am-5.30pm Monday to Friday, with some Saturdays worked if necessary.
During this period, there will be increased construction vehicle traffic on Underhill Road heading North from Featherston. Access to individual properties will not be affected.