Turn on a tap, flush a toilet or enjoy a swim at a beach – all things that many New Zealanders take for granted without an appreciation of the efforts of water infrastructure specialists working hard behind the scenes to manage our water supplies.
We caught up with two people working at the pipe-face to shine a light on what the industry’s like and what happens below our feet to keep water flowing and water quality high.
Elijah’s work on pump station helps protect Auckland beaches
When Auckland’s award-winning Mairangi Bay Wastewater Pump Station was completed in 2024, it replaced a 64-year old pump station that was unable to cope with modern volumes of wastewater, which overflowed into local bays after heavy rain.
One of the workers on the project was Elijah Blanchette Mathews, who applied for and landed a role with the company building it, Pipeline & Civil, after finishing school and applying for the job on the suggestion of his father, who also works for the company.
“I started from the bottom as a general labourer. Then as time got on, I started developing my skills and knowledge around things.”
While the project progressed after its start in 2021, so did Elijah, signing up for a BCITO Concreting and Construction Infrastructure apprenticeship and becoming a trade apprentice with Pipeline & Civil. In 2023 the pump station won gold in its project category at the Civil Contractors Hynds Auckland Construction Awards.
By mid-2025 he had completed his qualifications and been made leading hand – the same role his father held when he started on the pump station project. In between, he was named Auckland Branch Apprentice of the Year at the Auckland Civil Contractors New Zealand Hynds Construction Awards.
Elijah says he’s proud of the impact the Mairangi Bay pump station has on the Auckland communities it protects.
“It’s really good to know that I played a part in the project.”
He’s now working on another infrastructure project in Whitford, on a team with not only his father, but also his brother who has also joined Pipeline & Civil. While he’s happy working with his family in his present role for now, Elijah aims to become a supervisor or consultant a few years down the line.
Elijah says the work to achieve his qualifications and gain promotion has been worth it and he’d encourage anyone to give the industry a try.
“Just give it your best shot. Who cares if you fail – we’re all still learning.”
Alastair’s work managing critical water infrastructure in Waikato
Further south, another recently completed project demonstrates the difference water infrastructure makes in supporting Kiwis to go about their everyday lives.
Churchill East Pump Station near Hampton Downs in the Waikato required an upgrade to replace four ageing pumps to continue to provide drainage and flood protection to more than 1,400 hectares of farmland and the homes of local farmers in a flood plain.
Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure deconstructed the pump station and installed two state-of-the-art Archimedes screw pumps, while diesel-powered pumps continued to transfer water from Ngariohe Stream into the Waikato River, within a tight 65-day timescale.
The new pumps are specifically designed to allow fish and eels to travel through unharmed to continue their breeding cycle, highlighting how modern water infrastructure can support environmental considerations.
Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure General Manager Alastair Blackler knows the work well and says the impact of the upgrade was significant for people in the area.
“For the people in the catchment, it gives them greater security and certainty around their businesses, their operations and their livelihoods. They live there as well, so their houses are in that flood zone.
“It provides that security and gives them the confidence going forward that they’ll have improved mitigation against these increased flood events that are occurring more and more regularly.”
The Churchill East Pump Station project was highly commended in its category at the CCNZ Hirepool Construction Excellence Awards in 2025 and was also notable for 40% of the site team being female, 60% Māori and 50% local to the Waikato region.
Alastair says people don’t always realise the diversity of the civil construction workforce, and the fact civil construction projects require people with all sorts of skills.
“When people think about civil construction, they often just think about doing the hands-on building of things. But there’s a whole heap of stuff in the background that supports the building as well. So the roles that are available are quite broad.
“It’s a good career for you to do whatever you want. You can be an operator on a machine, on a digger or an excavator. If you want to be a surveyor or a commercial person looking at the finance or maybe you’ve got an environmental bent – there’s a role for you.”
Could your future be in water infrastructure?
Water infrastructure will continue to be critically important in the years ahead, so there’s plenty of opportunity to find a job in the sector.
Many New Zealand cities face a big job replacing the pipes and treatment infrastructure needed to keep water safe and our environment clean – something Wellington’s beachgoers know too well after an overflow at Moa Point wastewater treatment plant recently.
Whether you’re fresh out of school like Elijah was, or looking for a change, water infrastructure is full of exciting career pathways to dive into.
Want to make a difference in the world of civil construction where the impact of your work will be felt for years to come? Explore pathways into the industry at EPIC’s Infrastructure Careers Roadmap and find your future career.
