Warkworth is expecting significant growth, with up to 20,000 people moving to the area. Watercare is undertaking a number of significant wastewater infrastructure projects to accommodate this growth.

The $26 million dollar pump station in the Lucy Memorial Park is the first of a series of projects that will improve water quality in the Mahurangi River. Construction begins this September and will continue until 2024.

The new pump station will contain two pumps, 30 times more powerful than what we currently have with a capacity of 828,000 litres of storage. They will be tunnelling more than five kilometres of new pipeline from Lucy Moore Park to the new Snells Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant. 

The new Snells Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant is designed to accommodate population growth over the next 35 years. The existing Warkworth and Snells-Algies wastewater treatment plants will be decommissioned, terminating the treatment plant discharges into the Mahurangi River.

Although in the planning stage, the northwest pipeline would service population growth in the north west of Warkworth. This would serve new developments and carry water to the Lucy Moore pump station. Route options are being investigated.