Overview
Downer NZ manages the Waipā District Council Road Maintenance Contract. A key focus of this contract is supporting a safe, reliable, and resilient road network. We spoke to Downer’s Contract Manager, Liam Bartholomeusz, to find out how the AquaMaster 2000 helped him to create a programme of culvert maintenance and improve the flood resilience of the region’s roads.
Improving the flood resilience of Waipā’s roads
“Downer maintains…over 7500 culverts in the network. A lot of people say the best way to keep ‘good roads good’ is drainage and good drainage maintenance…So culverts really help with keeping our roads in good condition and if they’re blocked or damaged and not functioning properly then that can be really detrimental and cause our roads to deteriorate.”
Downer was able to build a large-scale culvert jetting and maintenance programme in Waipā, using the AquaMaster 2000. The focus of this programme was clearing and keeping clear the 7500+ culverts in the local road network. By keeping culverts clear proactively, Waipā Council and the Downer team plan to make the road network more resilient to weather events, and reduce the cost of unplanned repairs.
Liam found the AquaMaster 2000 was a great machine for the job.
“So it’s easy enough that I can operate it and I usually only operate a keyboard and a mouse. I think the team’s found it really good to operate…Great pressure, it’s been really helpful, we haven’t had any issues and the teams have been really enjoying its functionality and capability.”
Doing some good mahi with their budget
The value of the preventative work was apparent during a storm event in October. Bad weather demonstrated exactly how costly blocked culverts can be to the roading in the region. Liam recognises that his programme of culvert jetting is potentially saving the council hundreds of thousands of dollars by focusing on prevention rather than repair.
“It just helps you achieve outcomes that really help your clients…and definitely it has helped us and the client with doing some good mahi with their budget.”
Liam also comments that due to the versatility of the AquaMaster 2000, the machine is kept busy even when it isn’t unblocking culverts. In short, it’s been a handy piece of equipment to have around.
“It’s had really good outcomes for what we’ve tried to do with it. We’ve found it really versatile and easy to manoeuvre around on a trailer. It’s quite multi-purpose – we’ve used it as a water cart for dust suppression on a few jobs too which is really handy – but that functionality, it’s quite versatile and you can use it on a range of things…you’re really getting work done, good work done.”
Support when you need it, reliability you can trust
There’s a lot of comfort in knowing that support is available whenever you need it. Although there haven’t been many issues, Liam has also appreciated the great communication and customer service available from the Master Machinery team.
“Really good experience, really communicative. Jonty is really good to talk to and he always calls and always turns up. You build relationships on trust and I definitely feel that the trust is there.”
The AquaMaster 2000 has ticked a lot of boxes for the team at Downer in Waipā. The jetter function has been integral to the culvert maintenance programme they’ve set in place, reducing the damage and subsequent repair cost to the road network of major weather events.
The AquaMaster 2000 is also handy enough – and easy to get around – so that it can be used on a range of other tasks and jobs like cleaning bridges and dust suppression. That means it’s always busy delivering value to the Downer team.
If you’re looking for a multifunctional water cart trailer that offers jetting power and dust suppression capability, why not call the team at Master. We can talk you through the features of the AquaMaster 2000 and introduce you to the other models in our Water Cart range. Our team is friendly and knowledgeable. We’re ready to take your call.
