Jamie Sinclair: Watercare CEO on Auckland's new mega-pipe

The $1.66 billion mega-pipe solution to some of Auckland’s water woes was officially opened today. 

Watercare’s Central Interceptor tunnel runs for 16.2km from Point Erin in Herne Bay to the Māngere Wastewater Treatment Plant.

"What it does is it creates, basically, a new backbone for our wastewater system, and will over time really reduce those overflows that are occurring into our harbours," Watercare CEO Jamie Sinclair told Heather du Plessis-Allan. 

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now Auckland's Big poo pipe has finally finished seven years
one point six six billion dollars. The Central Interceptor is
now entirely operation Jamie operational. Jamie Sinclair is Watercare's chief executive.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hi Jamie, Oh Hi, what are you going on?

Speaker 1 (00:13):
But what was that?

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Thanks for having me on.

Speaker 1 (00:15):
You're more than welcome. What are you doing to celebrate?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Oh, we've had a great occasion this morning. It was yeah,
to really recognize and acknowledge the significant achievement that's been
realized through the livery of the Central Interception. Is it like,
did you have those milestone projects.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
Like sausage rolls in the morning?

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Types? No, we had. We had a bit of a
few speeches, some lovely, some lovely congratulations and a few
nice videos just demonstrating the history of the project and
all the work people that's been involved.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Yes, yes, mate, I would have thought at least one
drink was allowed to celebrate this one. Now, now explain
to me the significance because this does this mean we
will no longer have summers in Auckland where we are
warning people not to go in the water because there's pooh.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
The Central into scept as a big step in the
right direction, and that in that regards hither we are.
What it does is it creates basically a new backbone
for our waistwater system and will over time really reduce
those overflows that are occurring into our into our harbors.
So you'll see clean of water, waterways, clean of beaches.
You know, a few few of those overflows and few

(01:20):
of those black pins.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Ultimately we shouldn't have any, Jamie. So what do we
need to get rid of all the pool and the
water in summer.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yeah, we've got a We've got a huge program heither
to work on that. We've got our Central Interceptor as
a big part of that. But it's not the end solution.
So we are adding in projects to the central interceptor
which will which will enable flows from other parts of
Auckland to come into the central interceptor to reduce those overflows.

(01:47):
So it's it's it's going to take time, how long,
but we've made it. We've made a huge step forward.
Look over time, the central Interceptor itself and the adjoining
infrastructure and the tunnels that will be connected in to
this u Ualeld's largest wastewater tunnel, sixteen point two kilometers long,
will reduce significantly those overflows. So you'll be seeing within

(02:10):
that central western area and eighty percent reduction overflows.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
So how long? How long do we have to wait
before we don't have any more poo spills in the harbor?

Speaker 2 (02:19):
Look the nature of our network in our system, it
is an old system and we do have parts of
it that are combined with the stormwater network. So when
there is lots of rain, the stormwater does get into
a wastewater system and that does generate overflows. So we're
working towards both separating our wastewater and our stormwater system,
but also working on things like the central interceptive, which

(02:42):
is really about capturing those flows before they enter the
environment and then sending them down and getting processed safely
at our treatment plants.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
Okay, Jamie, thanks very much, man, I appreciate it and
enjoy your celebrations. Jamie s and Clair Watercare chief executive.
That's a You've still got pool on the beaches at summer,
isn't it?

Speaker 2 (03:01):
For more From Hither Duplessy Allen Drive listen live to
news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.