Project Overview
- Client: Pinetrees Lodge, Lord Howe Island
- Project: Resort Water Infrastructure Renewal
- Location: Lord Howe Island, NSW
- Scope: Approximately 140 metres of water infrastructure servicing 10 bungalow accommodation areas
- Delivery: Remote project mobilisation by sea and air
The Project
Enjoy Plumbing was engaged by Pinetrees Lodge on Lord Howe Island to undertake the first stage of a major renewal of the resort’s ageing water infrastructure. The existing underground copper network servicing a section of the resort had experienced ongoing leaks and failures. Years of additions, repairs and redundant underground services had also made isolating individual areas and locating future leaks increasingly difficult. Rather than simply replacing failed sections as problems occurred, Pinetrees and Enjoy Plumbing developed a longer-term solution.
The objective was to renew the ageing infrastructure while redesigning the system to make future maintenance, isolation and leak detection significantly easier for the resort’s maintenance team.
The Challenge
Working on Lord Howe Island presents challenges that simply don’t exist on a normal mainland plumbing project. Everything needed for the project had to be carefully planned before our team arrived. Tools, equipment, pipework and project materials were transported from the mainland aboard the Island Trader, while our Enjoy Plumbing project team flew directly to Lord Howe Island to undertake the works. With limited access to plumbing suppliers and replacement materials on the island, project planning and logistics were critical. When additional components were unexpectedly required during construction, our mainland team coordinated emergency airfreight to Lord Howe Island, allowing the project to continue without waiting for the next scheduled sea freight service. It required close coordination between our onsite team, mainland operations, suppliers and the resort.
Our Plumbing Approach
More Than Replacing a Water Main
A major objective of the project was to leave Pinetrees with a water system that would be far easier to understand, isolate and maintain for decades to come.
Approximately 140 linear metres of ageing water infrastructure was targeted during Phase 1, including the main water supply servicing Villas 45–49 and the associated bungalow accommodation areas.
Existing copper infrastructure was excavated and removed where practical and replaced with new blue-line polyethylene water services and fittings, selected for reliability and simplified future maintenance. But the project went considerably further.
Purpose-Built Isolation & Leak Detection
Enjoy Plumbing designed and installed new manifold systems throughout the renewed network. The new infrastructure incorporates:
- Stainless steel manifold assemblies
- Commercial-grade isolation valves
- Individual branch isolation
- Pressure gauges for system monitoring
- Dedicated bungalow isolation points
- Numbered valve stations
- Engraved system identification
- Simplified access for the resort maintenance team
A new primary isolation and pressure-monitoring manifold allows major sections of the resort to be isolated independently. Secondary manifolds were then installed at strategic branch locations to further divide the network.
This means a suspected leak can now be progressively isolated and identified rather than requiring large sections of the resort to be shut down while technicians search for the problem. For an accommodation business where interruption to guests needs to be kept to an absolute minimum, this is a significant improvement.
Individual Bungalow Isolation
The existing bungalow plumbing had separate incoming services supplying kitchenette and bathroom areas. As part of the renewal, Enjoy Plumbing reconfigured these services into a much simpler arrangement.
Dedicated external valve stations were installed to allow individual accommodation areas to be isolated without unnecessarily interrupting water to neighbouring bungalows. The valves are housed within purpose-built enclosures and clearly identified to make future maintenance straightforward for both Pinetrees staff and visiting tradespeople.
The result is a system designed not only around today’s requirements, but around the people who will need to maintain it in the future.
Main Pump Station Upgrade
The resort’s main water pump station was also incorporated into the infrastructure improvements. A new manifold arrangement with multiple isolation points and pressure gauges was installed to provide significantly better visibility of system performance. By comparing pressures and isolating individual sections of the network, maintenance teams can now investigate suspected water loss far more methodically. Instead of simply repairing another leaking pipe, the project introduced the infrastructure required to help Pinetrees find the next problem faster.
Designed for an Island Environment
Lord Howe Island’s remote and coastal environment was an important consideration throughout the project. Manifold components and external enclosures were selected with durability in mind, including the use of marine-grade 316 stainless steel enclosures in key locations.
The new system was also deliberately designed around components and configurations that could be serviced as simply as possible in the future. On the mainland, obtaining an additional fitting can mean a short drive to a supplier. On Lord Howe Island, the same problem can mean waiting for a ship or putting components on an aircraft.
Maintainability matters.
Working Within an Operating Resort
Pinetrees isn’t simply a project site – it’s one of Lord Howe Island’s established accommodation properties. Our team therefore had to undertake significant excavation and infrastructure works while respecting the surrounding environment and minimising the impact on the property. Pipe routes and manifold locations were selected carefully, with isolation equipment positioned discreetly wherever possible. Landscaped areas disturbed during excavation were reinstated, including carefully removing and replanting smaller palms where required.
Remote Project Logistics
Delivering this project required considerably more than plumbing. Before mobilisation, Enjoy Plumbing coordinated:
Mainland preparation → materials procurement → equipment preparation → Island Trader sea freight → direct team flights → onsite construction → emergency airfreight support → testing & commissioning
Our crew travelled to Lord Howe Island for the project, with Enjoy Plumbing management involved directly in critical stages of the works. Having our mainland operations team supporting the project also meant unexpected requirements could be dealt with quickly rather than bringing works to a standstill. When parts were required urgently, they were sourced on the mainland and flown directly to the island to keep the project moving.
Documentation for the Future
Knowing where underground infrastructure is located is particularly important on a site that has evolved over many years. As part of the project, Enjoy Plumbing documented the renewed infrastructure, including the approximate locations of:
- New water mains
- Manifold assemblies
- Branch connections
- Isolation valves
- Renewed bungalow services
A system identification chart and valve references were also incorporated so maintenance personnel can quickly determine which valves control different areas of the resort. The goal was simple: Someone maintaining the property years from now should be able to understand how the system works.
The Result
Phase 1 represents a significant step toward modernising the water infrastructure at Pinetrees Lodge. Instead of continuing to respond to individual failures within an ageing network, the resort now has renewed infrastructure designed around reliability, visibility and maintainability. The project delivered:
- ~140 metres of renewed water infrastructure
- 10 bungalow accommodation areas serviced
- New blue-line poly water mains
- Marine-grade stainless steel infrastructure
- Sectional isolation throughout the renewed network
- Individual bungalow isolation
- Pressure monitoring and improved leak detection
- Main pump manifold upgrades
- Removal of ageing and redundant underground services
- System identification and infrastructure documentation
And importantly, it established a framework that can be continued through future stages of the resort’s infrastructure renewal.
Plumbing Beyond the Mainland
Projects like Pinetrees demonstrate what Enjoy Plumbing’s Projects Team is capable of delivering. From planning and logistics through to excavation, infrastructure design, installation, testing and documentation, we can manage complex plumbing projects in locations where getting it right the first time matters. For this project, that meant sending equipment and materials across the Tasman Sea aboard the Island Trader, flying our team directly to Lord Howe Island and even coordinating emergency airfreight when additional components were needed.
One remote island.
An operating resort.
10 bungalow accommodation areas.
Approximately 140 metres of renewed infrastructure.
One carefully planned water system built to be easier to maintain for years to come.
