The upgraded Paeroa Water Treatment Plant has received a Merit Award for Excellence in Collaboration and Design at the ACENZ annual Innovate Awards, held earlier this month.

The plant was designed by Harrison Grierson in collaboration with the council's water services team.

Hauraki District Council engineering services group manager Adrian de Laborde says the Paeroa plant was up against some pretty stiff competition.

'These awards are not council specific. They recognise excellence across the entire engineering industry - one of the projects receiving a gold award was for a geothermal scheme in Kenya.”

He says a strong working partnership between the council and Harrison Grierson was an important factor in the success of the project.

'Together we've been able to deliver high quality water treatment for our communities.”

Over the last few years the council has upgraded its main water treatment plants in Kerepehi, Waihi and Paeroa and almost completed upgrading all of its rural water supplies.

Adrian says the Waihi and Kerepehi plants use the same technology as the Paeroa plant and are built to the same high standard. The Paeroa and Waihi Plants also use specialised UV peroxide water treatment systems to eliminate water taste and odour problems experienced in summer.

'It's really pleasing to be able to supply drinking water of such a consistently high standard across the district. The Kerepehi plant received a Silver ACENZ Award in 2014, and the Waihi plant would have been an equally deserving winner this year, but unfortunately only one plant could be included in the award application.”

Judges say the project was award-worthy for ‘going above and beyond industry standards to provide a tailored solution utilising existing technology in a new way for the client that is more efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly'.

Deputy Mayor Toby Adams accepted the award on the council's behalf.

'Water is our most precious resource and it's fantastic to see such good progress being made in its delivery throughout the district,” he says.

'This is a prestigious award attracting high calibre entries from all around the country and I'm incredibly proud that our council is among those being recognised for excellence in this field.”