Contractor Fulton Hogan will install a new insulated pipeline on the Ida Valley to Omakau road bridge in May.
The Central Otago District Council delivered the news after concerns were raised by residents during online discussions related to the long-term plan.
A council spokesperson said historical data shows the water line had previously frozen following a consistent five days of frost and -5°C temperatures.
When the pipe freezes, nothing comes out of the taps in households and businesses in Ophir on the town water supply.
Now, the council’s plan is for a new PE pipe to be encased in a larger pipe to protect it from the weather and prevent freezing.
"The new PE water main will be insulated by utilising an air-gap system within a PVC conduit pipe, which is secured to the downstream side of the bridge with brackets," the spokesperson said.
In the meantime, with the first decent frost of the year already behind the community, the contractor is on alert to ensure water continues to flow through the pipe until the fix-it work gets under way.
"Fulton Hogan has taken precautions to ensure that the water does not freeze in the current pipe before the works are completed by utilising a system whereby the water is constantly flowing," the spokesperson said.
According to the council, the issue was on its radar before the social media storm kicked off, and the project was approved on April 10.
Mayor Tamah Alley, councillors and community board members all engaged with the concerns of residents raised across several community Facebook groups and the council’s own Facebook page.
Vincent community board chairman Jayden Cromb said in these sorts of situations "communication is key".
The project was in the council’s last long-term plan and work towards a resolution undertaken, but the community needed to be updated on that, he said.
Work is scheduled to begin on Monday, May 19 and is expected to take three weeks to complete.
Regular maintenance work on the bridge entrances will take place at the same time to make use of the traffic management that will already be in place.
The council spokesperson said traffic management has "a substantial cost" and multiple closures of the road are inconvenient for the community.
The new pipe will be painted to protect it from the sun and to ensure it blends in with the metal railing of the bridge.
— Kim Bowden
