In 2018, Cyclone Gita caused havoc across the lower North Island. New Plymouth was hit particularly hard, causing widespread power outages, felled trees and landslips and major pipe damage to one of the potable water supplies.
During the cyclone one of those trees fell directly onto a major watermain pipe that fed to 10,000 homes which left them without water for three days, causing the residents to go directly on a boil water notice. Schools and businesses had to close, which caused an economic impact of $4.5 million dollars.
NPDC saw the need to upgrade and invest in pipes and fittings to cater for all of their reticulation critical spares. Hynds/Hygrade worked directly with the project manager and provided solutions for all of the different pipe sizes, and all types of repair solutions catering for all pressures across the three waters network. Some of our major brands could offer custom-built pipe fitting solutions for pipes that are not even made to this day!
Now NPDC have a brand-new purpose-built facility that stores an extensive supply of fittings and other infrastructure spares including critical pipe as well as a modern inventory system with scan codes, electronic access to instructions and diagrams and life reminders for perishable items held in the store.
