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Auckland Airport has completed a significant programme of major stormwater upgrades, boosting the precinct’s resilience to extreme weather and improving the quality of water flowing into the Manukau Harbour.
An additional 4.4km of stormwater pipes, many large enough to stand upright in, have been laid underground in the west of the precinct, forming a critical part of the airport’s 150km-strong stormwater network.
Together with improvements to multiple stormwater ponds and a new innovative stormwater treatment system, the project provides added resilience to the impacts of climate change and improves the airport’s ability to manage water sustainably.
Chief strategic planning officer Mary-Liz Tuck says: “Not only does Auckland Airport connect almost 19 million people and $26.6 billion worth of trade every year, but it is also a lifeline utility for our city.
“As New Zealand’s gateway airport, we need to be ready for more frequent and more severe weather events, and these upgrades are a vital part of that resilience.”
The Auckland region was tested in early 2023, when a month’s worth of rain fell in just a few hours.
Stormwater systems across the city were overwhelmed, including at Auckland Airport, leading to flooding at the international terminal and causing significant travel disruptions for passengers.
“Experiencing the flooding was an incredibly challenging moment for travellers and everyone operating at Auckland Airport,” Tuck says.
“However, like other infrastructure owners in the Auckland region, it’s ultimately sharpened attention on how we plan infrastructure in the face of more extreme weather events.
“For Auckland Airport, we chose to bring forward our planned stormwater upgrades and upsize designs.
“It’s also brought more focus to how we approach stormwater upgrades and renewals as part of our wider infrastructure programme, ensuring we are responding to the changing climate and building a robust and future-ready airport.”
Since 2023, Auckland Airport has worked to install an additional 4.4km of pipes to the north-west of the international terminal, along with expanding stormwater ponds to improve stormwater management.
Alongside this, the airport has also constructed a coupled wetland biofilter system on the edge of the Manukau Harbour, the first of its kind in New Zealand.
Designed to manage stormwater from more than 100 hectares of land, including the airport’s international airfield, the biofilter mimics natural processes to clean stormwater before it flows into the Manukau Harbour.
Tuck says with a footprint of 14 Olympic swimming pools, the biofilter is designed to do more with less land, freeing up space for aviation growth while providing enhanced treatment of stormwater entering the harbour.
“What’s remarkable is within this compact footprint the system can treat more than three times the volume of water compared to a traditional pond.
“That’s down to smart design and it means we can keep building for New Zealand’s future aviation needs while strengthening environmental outcomes.”
Tuck says the performance of the biofilter will be closely monitored through seasonal weather cycles, with results informing future upgrades across the wider stormwater network.
“This is a long-term commitment to protecting the environment while enabling progress.
“We’re building not just for today, but for the future of air travel, our communities, and the harbour we’re proud to sit beside.”
