Student's stormwater system for NZ car park

New Zealand engineering student Rachel Harrison has designed a new stormwater system as part of Calibre Consulting’s work to extend the Porirua Railway Station car park. Her system will prevent flooding in the car park and remove contaminants from runoff before it enters the Porirua Stream.

Harrison joined Calibre Consulting as a cadet seven years ago while completing her New Zealand Diploma in Engineering. She is now in the final year of her Bachelor of Engineering Technology at the Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) and thought the stormwater system would be a great project for her degree.

“Civil engineers have an important role to play minimising the impact of urban development on our environment, such as stopping contaminated water polluting our waterways,” said Harrison. “It’s really satisfying investigating a problem, designing a solution and seeing it built.”

Rachel Harrison and Calibre Consulting Team Leader Phil Read.

Harrison’s stormwater pipework installation will be completed in the New Year. As well as preventing flooding and contaminated runoff, the final design incorporates the need to keep ongoing maintenance costs to a minimum and to maximise utilisation of the redeveloped area.

Phil Read, Harrison’s team leader at Calibre, said, “One of Rachel’s strengths is her drive to produce sound engineering designs that are ‘right’ and conform to current engineering standards. It’s this ‘getting it right’ attitude that I think flows through to her looking for ways to include sustainable design elements into her engineering solutions that will have a low impact on the environment and the end users.”

Harrison’s work is one of a range of final-year projects being showcased by Bachelor of Engineering students at WelTec’s Petone campus today from 2-8 pm.