Delivering a Complex Water Take Project at Scale

Water take is one thing. Delivering it at scale across multiple sites along a 24km route with varying consent conditions, controls and complex operating demands is another.

That was the challenge on the Ōtaki to North of Levin (O2NL) new State Highway 1 project.

An O2NL pond site – with pumps and powers set up

The clients

• Northern alliance – Fulton Hogan and HEB Construction
  
• Southern alliance – McConnell Dowell and Downer

Prime Fluid Management was subcontracted for both alliances, working closely with Goodman Contractors during installation. We received support for our water take solution from Halo – who provided telemetry and control integration during project delivery.

Live telemetry data showing flow, consent limits and pond levels across the O2NL system

The project 

With seven water take sites, ten pond transfers and a corridor covering 17 pumping locations, this was a large-scale undertaking. Across two alliance-led areas, Prime had to coordinate varying:

• Consent conditions

• Controls and access constraints

• Site-specific setup demands.

The work unfolded in stages – with assessment, specification, setup and automation all taking shape as the project progressed.

Planning a large-scale water take job? Get in touch with us today.

Tracking water level heights in five of the O2NL ponds

The challenge 

Prime had to turn a large, spread-out job into a reliable, compliant water take package that worked across the full project. That meant managing site-by-site consent conditions, connected controls and ongoing water supply across multiple locations.

The solution also had to work for multiple councils, including Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Council – with consent data integrated into the control system.

Keeping water in the ponds supported dust suppression and kept earthworks moving.

One of 17 pumping locations across the O2NL route

The solution 

Prime treated O2NL as a full construction water take package – assessing, specifying and refining each location as the work progressed. Each site’s duty point, consent conditions and operating demands guided the solution through:

• Reliable equipment

• Integrated controls and reporting

• Site-specific performance.

As the work took shape, Prime refined the package through multiple pricing and design stages, locking in the right pump selection, power supply, pipe sizing and controls for each location. This tailored approach delivered water take systems for real conditions – rather than a one-size-fits-all setup.

Prime refined the package site by site – matching pumps, power and controls to each location

The outcome 

O2NL shows Prime’s ability to deliver complete water take solutions at scale for complex projects. The team has already put the core package in place across this multi-site job, with automation and long-term support continuing as the works progress.

Over the life of the project, success will come down to consistent performance – maintaining water in the ponds, supporting dust suppression and keeping earthworks moving.

A water take system in place – with telemetry and controls for ongoing performance

Talk to Prime about your next complex water take project.