DCC Lifeline Strategy Wins Award

The Dunedin City Council is very pleased to announce that the Dunedin City Raw Water Lifelines Strategy has won the national NAMS Innovation in Asset Management Planning Award at the Ingenium Excellence Awards on Saturday 23 June.
The project was a successful collaboration between MWH and the Dunedin City Council to develop a one hundred year strategy for the replacement of 120km of critical pipelines, with a value of $110 million and supplying 60% of Dunedin’s water from two catchment areas.
The innovative strategy will ensure the ongoing security of Dunedin’s water supply and identifies immediate ways to reduce risk and to achieve multi-million dollar savings.
DCC Acting Manager, Water and Waste Services, Laura McElhone says, “Having a great team of staff and consultants looking at the existing, well-known water supply risk with fresh eyes and an innovative approach has resulted in a better solution that reduces risk and will cost less. The significance of this strategy has been recognised with this award.”
Roger Oakley, MWH Team Leader, Water and Waste, adds, “This project demonstrates the best of the modern form of thinking in engineering and asset management, focused on achieving reliable outcomes for the community, rather than the condition of physical assets. 
“The collaborative relationship between MWH and DCC was a fun environment to work in, and it got the best out of everyone”.
Strong political and community acceptance of the Lifelines Strategy was illustrated when a major reshuffle of long term plan expenditure and the introduction of a significant new project were accepted without question during a time of close public scrutiny of DCC expenditure.
In all, savings of $11.2 million, over the next ten years, have been identified. The total project cost was $200,000.