McConnell Dowell's New Zealand and Pacific business managing director Roger McRae met shareholding farmers at three meetings yesterday to discuss the company's response to the pipeline failing in its first test this spring.
On November 4, after five hours of handling working pressure, a joint on a 1200mm pipe ruptured at Queens Flat, near Ngapara, raising questions about the integrity of the mechanical couplings, as well as the air valves used on the 114km extension to the irrigation company's $57million expansion down the Kakanui Valley that began last year.
Wet weather had not only prevented the completion of the pipeline it had also slowed work in assessing the pipeline's failure, Mr McRae said. He said McConnell Dowell had concluded ``in absence of confirmation from the gasket manufacturer'' the gaskets used in the project construction were ``not fit for purpose''.
However, those air valves could be replaced without digging out the pipeline.
Investigations into the integrity of the couplings joining pipe sections would conclude this week, but crews would likely ``check and possibly adjust the mechanical couplers''.
``We can't conclusively say [what the problem is]; it's either a component failure, potentially installation error, and it's potentially a combination of both,'' Mr McRae said.
``Our analysis at the moment is that those couplers are fundamentally OK.''
``From a cost point of view, we are certainly motivated here, because this is costing us,'' he told the room of roughly a dozen Ngapara-area farmers at the first of the three meetings. ``These overheads ... are not going to cost you. That's an issue for us to work through with our suppliers.''
Resuming staged commissioning could begin as early as next week.
Conlans Rd dairy farmer Alex Taylor said farms had already invested in infrastructure required for irrigation and were carrying extra stock at the moment.
``You're complaining about the weather, but if I were you I'd be out there dancing and thanking mother nature,'' he told Mr McRae at the meeting. ``I think there would be a lot more angry people here if it was a different case.
``We've outlaid large amounts of money.''
Irrigation company chief executive Robyn Wells said yesterday she was disappointed by the commissioning failure.
``Even as recently as a couple of weeks ago, we were still of the understanding that the majority of the new pipeline would be commissioned before Christmas, and the rest of it January,'' she said.
Now, no progress could be made until McConnell Dowell knew just what had gone wrong.
``And, of course, we are very concerned about that.''
Mr McRae said McConnell Dowell would update shareholders with a detailed plan at a second meeting next week.
