Improvements to the Omaha stormwater system are in the works.

Healthy Waters, a division within Auckland Council have been investigating issues with the stormwater outfall system in Omaha. Omaha’s flat landscape affects water flow, causing flooding in some areas.

Outfall is a crucial part of a stormwater network; it disperses stormwater (which is essentially rainwater) out to sea. Omaha’s flat topography and high water table makes this challenging, but Omaha’s well-maintained, modern system reduces the chance of anything other than stormwater entering the sea. The new outfall will be carefully designed to minimise any erosion as a result of the water flow.

The stormwater network in the northern end of Omaha will all connect back to the outfall at the Omaha boat ramp, so the location and design needs to be perfect before the project can be finalised. The engineers will start at the outfall and then work backwards to make sure that everything links up correctly.

The new stormwater system will hopefully provide a solution to the flooding issues currently seen in Thistle Terrace, Darroch Slope, Esme Place and a few other streets.

A new channel, a new stormwater pipe and an upgrade of the existing stormwater pipe will be installed to reduce flooding issues in Edith Place and Day Dawn Crescent. Early designs are complete, but the solution is physically linked with the project in Darroch Slope and requires that project to be finalised in order to progress. Healthy Waters are working towards starting construction in 2021.