Clarks Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant

Client: Watercare New Zealand
Location: Clarks Beach, New Zealand

McKay supports critical infrastructure across New Zealand by delivering projects and providing ongoing maintenance services for essential industries, including water and wastewater, telecommunications, transport, and EV charging networks. With extensive experience in the infrastructure sector, McKay is trusted by key private, local, and central government agencies to deliver and maintain vital infrastructure nationwide.

The Project

McKay and MGE played a key role in the upgrade of the Clarks Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant, delivering critical electrical infrastructure to support the plant’s advanced treatment systems.
At McKay’s Hamilton branch, two fully containerised switchgear cabins were prepared over a six-week fit-out, then integrated with MGE switchboards and PLC cabinets before being transported to site and connected to the plant’s electrical systems. Together, the cabins act as the plant’s engine room, powering critical systems that treat and manage wastewater for the growing Clarks Beach community. This infrastructure forms part of the plant’s upgraded treatment capabilities, allowing it to treat over five million litres of wastewater per day to a high environmental standard. The work completed by McKay and MGE ensured all electrical and mechanical systems were ready for cold commissioning, setting the stage for the plant’s eventual full operation.

Project Deliverables

The project centred on two custom-built 40-foot containers at McKay’s Hamilton branch, purpose-designed to serve as switchboard rooms at the Clarks Beach plant.
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• Container Fit-Out: Each container was fitted with new exit doors installed to Watercare standards and compliant with AS/NZS 3000:2007. Walls were lined with poly panelling for thermal and acoustic insulation, floors reinforced to support switchboard weight, and internal lighting including emergency fittings installed throughout.
• Switchboard Manufacturing: Switchboards were built by MGE — McKay’s group switchboard manufacturing company — as MGE NZ Powerak boards, including MSBs, MCCs, PLC cabinets, and DBs, all manufactured to Watercare standards. The Powerak design’s flexibility was critical, allowing the MGE team to design boards specifically to fit within the two containers.
• Power Distribution: The main switchboard distributes power to two process switchboards, which oversee and control all motor-driven equipment across the plant.
• Control Systems: Multiple PLC cabinets were installed to coordinate and control all plant processes, forming the core of the facility’s operational control system.
• Cable Containment & Support: Cable ladder containment was installed inside the containers to provide proper support for wiring systems and safe access throughout the switchboard rooms.
• Energy Efficiency & Resilience: Variable speed drives were incorporated to optimise motor control and reduce energy consumption. A UPS system was also installed to ensure critical instruments and equipment remain operational during any power outages.

Our Approach

This project had a notable logistical challenge worth highlighting. Installing the switchboards required a multi-person team to carefully lift and manoeuvre each unit into the containers before securely anchoring and bracing them for transport. The containers were then moved to site using a swinglift side loader, with a 100-tonne crane used to lift and set each unit onto its final supporting structure. The off-site prefabrication approach at McKay’s Hamilton branch was key to streamlining on-site installation and keeping the project on programme.

For more than 90 years, McKay has been delivering electrical and engineering solutions that support New Zealand’s growth, across the industrial, infrastructure, marine, renewables and construction sectors, providing innovative electrotechnology solutions to a wide range of industries. Learn more about McKay’s capabilities.