Wyndham streets will soon be ripped up in a massive operation to lay a new sewerage and water system that will connect to residential properties.
Wyndham Community Board chairman Digger Eunson said the town had a bad year ahead in terms of keeping the streets tidy.
But Mr Eunson said once the systems had been put in it would allow work towards a beautification process in the town centre to take place.
‘‘We have held back on doing footpath work. There's no sense in putting in new footpaths when they are going to be dug up. It's an awkward situation we're in,'' Mr Eunson said.
Wyndham has been in dire need of a new sewerage system. ‘‘We have had about a 10-year over-run on our permit. ES [Environment Southland] have been very good to us in that they knew we were trying so they gave us a break,'' Mr Eunson said.
The cost of the sewerage system to Wyndham ratepayers was about $7000 per household. However, each household also had to pay a connection fee to the sewerage system which would cost an extra $1700 to $1800, Mr Eunson said.
Getting the water system in at the same time as the sewerage system would save double handling.
‘‘If they're going to dig up all the streets for the sewerage we might as well do the water as well, so she's a doublewhammy,'' Mr Eunson said.
This will be the first water supply system in Wyndham. Previously, residents got rainwater from their own tanks.
The cost of the water system to ratepayers is not yet known until a supply source is found.
‘‘We have got two options going. Just depending on which one will have a big influence on the cost,'' Mr Eunson said.
The two water sites being investigated are in Edendale and Wyndham. Edendale will also be connected to the same sewerage and water system as Wyndham.
Laying down the new systems would be a tricky situation given the stormwater drains that needed to be protected at the same time as laying sewerage and water pipes, Mr Eunson said.
‘‘If there were no pipes at all in the ground it would be easy - we could just go there and dig, but we have to protect our existing system as well,'' Mr Eunson said.
Preliminary work has begun on the outskirts of the town, with work on the main streets due to begin after the Wyndham Street Race on November 30.
The entire operation would be complete in about a year giving the community board an opportunity to focus resources towards beautification of the main street, Mr Eunson said.
