Grundfos delivers water-supply upgrade for Kawerau District

Nestled in the Bay of Plenty on New Zealand’s North Island, the Kawerau District is a small, vibrant community renowned for its geothermal resources and industrial heritage. With a tight-knit population and significant industrial activity, the district depends on the Kawerau District Council to deliver essential services, including a reliable and sustainable water supply.

The council manages the Kawerau Water Treatment Plant, which distributes water to reservoirs serving homes, businesses, and industries. As the region frequently experiences record-high summer temperatures, an efficient water system is vital to meet daily demands and seasonal peaks, ensuring the community’s resilience in a warming climate.

THE SITUATION

The Kawerau Water Treatment Plant depended on aging split case pumps, installed in 1968 and donated by local industry. After decades of service, these 110 kW pumps were obsolete, inefficient, and at risk of catastrophic failure. They struggled to handle the district’s fluctuating water demands - 3,000 cubic meters per day in the wet season and over 12,000 in drier periods - while consuming excessive electricity, inflating operational costs. With rising summer temperatures intensifying water needs, the council faced an urgent need to modernise the system to ensure reliability and sustainability.

Riaan Nel, Group Manager of Operations and Services at Kawerau District Council, raised concerns about the pumps’ redundancy and high energy consumption, prompting the council to conduct thorough due diligence to identify the most effective solution.

Upgraded piping for reliable water distribution

THE SOLUTION

After extensive evaluation, the Kawerau District Council, led by Riaan Nel, selected Grundfos as the optimal partner for a comprehensive water supply upgrade, with Opotiki Pumps and Irrigation executing the project.

The council’s rigorous due diligence confirmed that Grundfos offered the most cost-effective and efficient solution, with a study forecasting a full return on investment within 8-10 years. The project replaced the outdated 110 kW pumps with four high-efficiency Grundfos CR185-2 45 kW vertical multistage pumps, designed to match the previous system’s flow rate (high setpoint: 360 m³/hr) while using significantly less power.

Working with their local partner, the council ensured seamless integration of the new system. “Looking towards the future, we now have a strong system with ample capacity and redundancy to consistently serve our community,” said Nel.

THE OUTCOME

The new Grundfos pumps deliver more than the old system and with significantly lower energy consumption, reducing month-to-month operational costs and enhancing sustainability.

The upgraded system ensures a reliable water supply with added resilience, effortlessly meeting Kawerau’s needs during peak demand in dry seasons. Designed for longevity, it provides sufficient capacity to support at least 20 years of predicted population and industrial growth.

Riaan Nel with Grundfos pumps ensuring Kawerau’s water reliability.

Compared to the outdated system, the new setup is far easier to control, with more integrated and responsive controls that streamline operations. For the maintenance team, the system simplifies daily tasks such as calibration, dosing, and managing water volumes, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards more efficiently.

“I’m really proud of what we achieved, and we’re very happy with the outcome,” Nel added. With Grundfos technology at the helm, Kawerau is well-equipped to meet its water challenges for decades, even as summer heat intensifies.