Construction is underway on the Mount Cook reservoir, which will more than double the drinking water storage capacity for the city’s CBD and low-lying suburbs.
The 35 million-litre reservoir is part of Wellington City Council and Wellington Water’s wider programme of work to improve the resilience of the region’s drinking water network.
The seismically resilient reservoir will be fully buried underneath the hillside above Prince of Wales Park, in the Town Belt, and make the water supply more resilient for both normal operational needs and in the event of natural disaster or disruption.
Council Chief Infrastructure Officer Tom Williams says Omāroro Reservoir is a critical new piece of infrastructure for the growing city.
“We know the city’s water infrastructure needs investment – here’s a $68m example that will have multiple benefits for Wellington.
“It will ensure we can continue supplying customers with fresh, safe drinking water as our population grows, and take us from having less than a day’s worth of supply to about 48-hours’ worth if there’s any disruption to our supply or a natural disaster, like an earthquake.
“This is going to make our city more resilient. So far it’s been great to see so many members of the local community get involved in the project, and we look forward to continuing to engage with the community as construction moves forward.”
A total of around 44,000 cubic metres of material will be excavated, more than half of which will be stored on the site and used to bury and cover the reservoir site once construction is completed.
The site will then be revegetated, landscaped and restored, in accordance with the Wellington Town Belt Act, to ensure this precious regional resource is protected.
Safeguarding the Town Belt’s natural values has been a key focus for Council and Wellington Water’s project team and contractor HEB Construction.