The pump station on the Waipori River, which keeps more than 7000ha of the Taieri Plain dry, is to get a $1.1 million refurbishment, including new pumps.
The station is the largest and most vital of all the Otago Regional Council's pump stations on the Taieri Plain.
Doing the work are five pumps, in two adjoining facilities, one built in the 1980s containing two near-new submersible pumps for drainage and the original building constructed in the 1920s to house three centrifugal pumps for backup and to deal with flood conditions.
Environmental engineering and natural hazards director Gavin Palmer said the council had been planning to replace the three 80-year-old flood pumps since they were included in the 2009-19 long-term council community plan for the 2012-13 year.
But before they were replaced, detailed designs were needed, so three options had been developed to be presented to the engineering and hazards committee and the West Taieri Drainage Liaison Group, he said.
The choice was between two types of pump and it had to be decided whether to modify the existing pump building or build a new one.
The liaison group preferred option two, which involved demolishing the existing building and replacing it with a basic shed and installing submersible pumps, he said.
As two of the submersible pumps could do the job of three of the present ones, there was an option of not replacing all three, Dr Palmer said.
Chairman Stephen Woodhead said it would be sensible to design the new station to be able to house three pumps and make a decision on whether to install a third at a later date.
The committee recommended option two be used as a basis for the detailed design for the upgrade of the plant.
Dr Palmer said the final decision on whether to include two pumps or three could be made closer to construction.
• The Otago Regional Council and landowners in the Taieri upper pond area are continuing to meet to discuss the operation of the spillway gates, which became controversial during floods last May.
A meeting was held last week and another was planned for March at the landowners' request so engineering staff could further explain how the river and protection works operated, chairman Stephen Woodhead said.
