PROJECT
Taupō District Council
LOCATION
Kinloch, New Zealand
PRODUCTS
PlantPAx Distributed Control System | ControlLogix 5580 Controllers | FactoryTalk View SE SCADA | Stratix Industrial Ethernet Switches | Allen-Bradley PowerFlex AC Drives | Terasaki Switchgear | Cubic Switchboard | Concept & DIN T Distribution Boards
The Introduction
When the Taupō District Council began planning the upgrade of the Kinloch Water Treatment Plant, the need for modernisation extended well beyond replacing ageing infrastructure. Kinloch is a rapidly growing community, and the new plant needed to support rising demand while delivering a more resilient drinking water supply. New national water standards further reinforced the need for a robust, future-proofed solution, positioning Kinloch as the ideal site to establish a new control and automation philosophy for the region.
To deliver the project, the council appointed Marshall Projects as the lead contractor, with Falcon responsible for electrical installation and commissioning. Early in the design phase, the importance of a consistent, plant-wide control approach became clear. Operators needed clarity, the council required transparency, and engineering teams needed a platform that could scale as additional treatment plants around Lake Taupō are upgraded.
The overview
Rockwell Automation’s PlantPAx system was selected to transform the plant’s automation architecture, replacing siloed systems with a single, unified environment. The platform delivers clearer diagnostics, modern operator interfaces and smoother commissioning.
Supporting this, the solution brings together drives, switchgear, the control system and onsite visualisation into a connected platform that is easier to manage. With every component designed to work together, operators now have a real-time, high-visibility view of the treatment process. This improves response times, simplifies daily operation and supports more predictable maintenance while reducing downtime.
NHP supplied a comprehensive suite of technologies spanning industrial power distribution, intelligent motor control and integrated drive systems. With drives and controllers that communicate natively with PlantPAx, Falcon’s commissioning team experienced fewer integration challenges and a more streamlined setup. For the council, this delivers better visibility of equipment health, faster decision-making and improved maintenance efficiency.
Local support also played a critical role. For a remote and strategically important site like Kinloch, ready access to spare parts is essential. NHP’s strong local inventory and technical support capability gave the council confidence that the plant can continue operating even in the event of unexpected failures.
The Solution
The plant has been built with long-term resilience at its core. It is supported by 21-metre-deep steel piles and a 600 mm reinforced concrete slab, making it one of the most robustly engineered treatment facilities in the country and capable of performing during seismic events.
It currently produces 3,500 m³ of drinking water per day, with a clear pathway to expand to 5,000 m³ as demand increases. More broadly, the project establishes a consistent and scalable approach to automation that can be replicated across future upgrades in Ōmori, Motuoapa, Hatepe and surrounding communities.
The Kinloch Water Treatment Plant sets a new benchmark for a connected, resilient and modern water network, built on strong electrical and automation integration and supported by dependable local availability.
NHP Products/Services
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