To increase the supply of drinking water and capacity for firefighting for our growing central city, we need to build two 25 million litre (ML) reservoirs. One by 2028 and the other from 2040.
Following significant technical, environmental and cultural investigation, the Ruakiwi site (next to the existing Ruakiwi Reservoir) has been identified as the best site for the two new reservoirs and a valve chamber building.
The site has hydraulic advantages as it enables the best and efficient (aka gravity) water supply to the city and has supplied the central city with water for over 100 years with many important customers including Waikato Hospital.
Stage 1: First reservoir – built by 2028
- 25ML reservoir - approximately the volume of eight Olympic sized pools.
- Council has been allocated $150.6 million in Crown funding from the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund (IAF) for a range of infrastructure projects to enable more homes. The first reservoir is funded through the IAF programme.
- 60m diameter - approximately 10m longer than an Olympic sized swimming pool.
- 10m tall, 6m above ground.
- The new reservoir will be the tenth in Hamilton Kirikiriroa.
Stage 2: Second reservoir – to be built from 2040
- Hamilton will need multiple reservoirs over the coming decades. As part of Council’s early water modelling and growth projections, another reservoir of the same size of stage 1 will be needed to ensure the city keeps ahead of its demand for water supply.
- Funding for the second reservoir will be considered in future long-term planning.
Your feedback on the draft concept and how you currently use the space is important to help us:
- Shape the final design and layout of the reservoirs site, including access and landscaping considerations.
- Prepare applications to designate and reclassify some of the current park land needed to build the reservoirs under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) and Reserves Act 1977 (Reserves Act) processes.
Come and chat with the project team and see first-hand concept plans at these drop-in sessions below:
Hamilton Lake at the Verandah Café
