When the Anniversary Day floods hit Auckland in January 2023, many people were unprepared for the deluge that would threaten their homes and businesses.
More than 7000 properties were stickered following rapid building assessments, and 4500 households required some form of flood-related assistance. There have been at least 8000 insurance claims relating to the floods.
The floods were a wake-up call for those in vulnerable areas such as the North Shore’s Wairau Valley. Suddenly, preventing flooding became a big concern.
This area was hit particularly hard, with two people losing their lives trying to rescue others from the fast-rising waters.
Businesses along Wairau Road were hit with water levels up to a metre high, enough to cause significant damage to their premises.
The Problem
Wairau Paint Centre – one of the businesses along Wairau Road – came to Supply Force following the floods to find a solution to prevent damage in future flood events.
Their premises has eight double garage-sized roller doors that are particularly vulnerable to flooding.
The Challenge
Having their premises on Wairau Road means that due to council regulations, they cannot build a permanent flood barrier such as a wall around the outside of the property.
This means that in a flood situation, they have to let the water come onto their property, but somehow still protect their building.
The Solution
This is where Acquastop Flood Gates comes in, offering a fast, cost-effective solution that’s easy to install.
Acquastop was the perfect solution for Wairau Paint Centre because this product doesn’t require any permanent alterations to the building.
Instead, accessories were fitted around the doorways where the flood gates were to be installed.
These metal brackets remain in place, and the flood gates can be quickly set up when needed.
This meant Wairau Paint Centre could continue to use their doorways as normal, including driving forklifts over the base plates.
When the time comes to deploy the flood gates, it only takes 2 minutes to secure them in the frame. The gates are pressure-fit to ensure no water can penetrate them.
Compared with sandbags – which could take an entire day for 3 men to build a metre-high wall – this is an extremely fast and effective flood protection solution.
Contact Supply Force today to find out how we can help you protect your business from flooding.