Heavier manhole cover ordered

A manhole near Barkes Corner was wobbling and smelling. Photo: Google maps.

A heavier model manhole cover has been ordered for a Barkes Corner manhole after firefighters were called the cover lifting earlier today.

Greerton firefighters were called at 8.26am and found the cover was moving, but not leaking any liquid.

Tauranga City council communications advisor Marcel Currin says the manhole on a sewer, rattles when a pump starts.

'It's a waste water manhole lid that's going to be replaced because it is just a little bit light.

'There's a pump station further up the line and when that starts it pushes a bit of air through, and it makes the lid wobble around a bit. It would only happen whenever the pump station starts.”

He thinks that may happen six or seven times a day, and only for a few minutes when the pump starts up.

'There might be a bit of odour associated with it,” says Marcel.

The manhole is outside the Western Bay of Plenty District Council offices

'We're just keeping good friendly local government relations working,” says Marcel.

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8 comments

golly gosh

Posted on 05-09-2017 17:41 | By old trucker

just out side council offices,thats where the odour is from , not the manhole,( lol) put some glue on it,poor didums it makes a little noise when the pumps starts, he thinks it happens 5-6 times a day, by the way why do they have these things on the road, especially on entrance, its all the traffic running over it that does this, if they hit the sides with a BIG CHISEL around the inside it would tighten up, but NO have to order heavier one, NO PROBLEM, he could pay for it out of his fat salary,my thoughts only on this subject,Sunlive WON THE BEST NEWS ABOVE EVERYONE ELSE, how AWESOME,Thankyou,10-4, out.phew.


Great...

Posted on 05-09-2017 18:06 | By GreertonBoy

spend more of our money. I would have tack welded it down for 50c but I guess we can afford a new manhole cover be made.... I guess we should get change from $10,000 if we are lucky (and they get the right size one) Pfffttt


HANG ON! You guys are being a bit unfair

Posted on 05-09-2017 19:46 | By Papamoaner

Those manhole "covers" are not covers in the normal sense. They are thick "plugs" with tapered edges that match a tapered socket so that they can't roll when you stand on one side of them, or a vehicle does similar. Pressure shocks in the system might be small, but if there are enough square inches across the cover, it can be enough to lift it if it "aint heavy enough" getting a heavier cover is probably cheaper than drilling down to install a pressure relief vent, which would need to feature a pipe the size and height of a power pole to avoid stink complaints. Sometimes it seems no matter what you do these days, you will always get criticised. Jeez Wayne!


Heavier?

Posted on 05-09-2017 21:28 | By MISS ADVENTURE

The only benefot from that would be if the officials were all put in first!


Surely...

Posted on 05-09-2017 22:15 | By GreertonBoy

they could bolt a couple of Kg weight to the bottom of that one? And, thinking about it, if it is rattling and emitting an odour when the pump starts.... then surely, a vent is needed somewhere between the pump and the man hole? I am not a university edumacated engineer, but that seems sort of obvious? Whoever designed the system should really get their thinking cap on and fix the root of the problem... Oh, hang on, that will probably cost us more now, sorry I mentioned it....


call an engineer

Posted on 05-09-2017 23:59 | By CC8

No NOT a bloody paper pusher engineer a REAL engineer, one who has done a proper apprenticeship and put in the hard yards , one who knows how to deal with an issue like this....ALL it needs is a couple of scotch keys ....if there is a decision maker with a theoretical (paper)degree that even knows what that is.


Rock and a hard place alright.

Posted on 06-09-2017 09:00 | By Papamoaner

If anything can be learned from this storm in a teacup, it is;- don't give works briefs to the media.@CC8;- For good reason, manhole covers are not normally fixed down. Scotch plugs are indoor technology. They wouldn't be practical here because the Allen key heads would get compacted with concrete and crap plus rust, creating a nightmare to unlock. As to manhole cost - GreertonBoy's estimate was over the top. It's just an off the shelf foundry casting for god's sake. Maybe around 2 to 3 hundred bucks? Or if it's a latticed cover to be concrete-filled (some are), maybe up to say 500 bucks. If you want to have a go at councils, stick to their over-complex bureaucracies - their soft underbelly. Their engineering is invariably very good, and mostly done by outside contractors these days.


@ Pappa

Posted on 06-09-2017 21:04 | By MISS ADVENTURE

So thrwoing money around again are we. A bit of chewing gum would likely fix it, just get a $5 pack and a couple kids chewing, problem solved.


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