Interflow shepherds New Zealand’s water industry

With an estimated spend of up to $185 billion on infrastructure over the next 30 years, companies like Interflow are helping local councils and authorities to create, renew and maintain the nation’s pipeline infrastructure in sustainable and cost-effective ways.

An all-in-one delivery partner

Servicing the needs of pipeline infrastructure asset owners for over 85 years, Interflow has earned its position as a leader in the water industry by continually challenging the status quo. 

Innovation lies at the core of its service offering. The company is dedicated to developing bespoke solutions that drill to the heart of its customers’ problems; robust, sustainable solutions that will service the growing needs of the community for generations to come. 

From inception to completion, Interflow’s services encompass project planning, design, construction and maintenance across the drinking water, wastewater and stormwater segments.

As an experienced delivery partner, the company provides end-to-end services for local councils and water authorities through its self-performed capabilities and network of trusted subcontractors. With extensive in-house expertise, Interflow is delivering for New Zealanders, by New Zealanders.

Delivering trenchless solutions across the three waters

Interflow played a major role in pioneering trenchless pipeline rehabilitation, leading the way and adopting spiral-wound lining technologies as far back as the early 1990s. 

Today, the company offers an extensive suite of trenchless solutions for new and ageing infrastructure across the drinking water, wastewater and stormwater sectors.

By saving the time, costs and social impact associated with excavation, trenchless technologies have quickly become the preferred construction methods of choice for local councils and water authorities across the country.

Dig and replace methods, particularly in urban areas, can be disruptive, impacting residents, commuters and the environment with dust, noise, and a hefty site footprint. Outside of urban hubs, challenging natural landscapes and the need to minimise the impact on local ecosystems often rules out extensive excavation altogether.

Trenchless technology can minimise these impacts by reducing environmental disruption to a single point of entry – or eliminating it altogether – as well as minimising project time. This also presents valuable cost savings to asset owners, who often look for the most efficient and effective ways to preserve their critical pipeline infrastructure without compromising quality.

Record-breaking success in Nelson

Interflow states that since the company’s inception in 1936, its people work closely with its customers to develop tailored solutions that work for the community and the environment.

A recent example comes from the bayside city of Nelson in New Zealand’s South Island. Urgent action was needed to improve the reliability of the Nelson community’s wastewater service and to protect the Waimea Inlet, a haven for bird and aquatic life. 

Interflow’s customer, the Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit, considered a wide range of options, focussing on those that re-used existing but decommissioned pipelines within the network, and that eliminated work in the Inlet.

The solution was to recommission a section of sewer that ran directly under the Inlet and had been out of service since 2007 using Primus Line, a strong and flexible liner designed specifically for pressure pipelines. The liner was installed in an ambitious single pull of 1.1km, which at the time was the longest ever attempted by Interflow. 

“As the pipeline we rehabilitated ran underwater, our crews operated with specialised equipment and great caution to ensure no discharges into the surrounding bay peninsula in order to protect Nelson’s pristine coastline,” says Interflow’s National Product Manager, Will Zillmann.

“We were able to quickly and effectively rehabilitate the pipe, therefore providing a cost-effective, sustainable solution for our customer.”

Unlocking potential across the country

Over the next 30 years, it is estimated that New Zealand will need to spend between $120 and $185 billion to upgrade its water infrastructure. 

Adopting trenchless methods and embracing innovation is key to unlocking value and cost-savings for asset owners and their customer base.

Early engagement with local delivery partners, like Interflow, can help asset owners leverage leading technologies to get the most out of their rehabilitation programs and ensure all New Zealanders have access to safe, affordable and sustainable water services.

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