New $4m water treatment plant boosts Waiuku’s water supply

A new $4m temporary water treatment plant for Waiuku goes live today, boosting the rapidly-growing town’s water supply.

The new, modular treatment plant is the fourth treatment plant serving the area and boosts supply by up to 80,000 litres an hour.

Asset upgrades and renewals general manager Suzanne Lucas says the temporary plant is part of a multi-pronged approach to meeting Waiuku’s growing water demand.

“Waiuku is growing quickly and the increased population has put a strain on the area’s water supply. Last summer we topped up our network water storage reservoirs using tankers to help us keep everyone’s taps running.

“But that’s not a sustainable solution, so this summer we’ve had staff and contactors working really hard to build a new, modular treatment plant that will meet the community’s needs over the next few years.

“It’s part of a wider project that includes improvements to existing infrastructure, and efforts to educate the community on how to use water wisely.”

All four water treatment plants treat water extracted with bores from an underground aquifer.
“While we refer to the new modular treatment plant as ‘temporary’, it is built to last for up to seven years. In the long-term, it will be replaced with a permanent plant,” Lucas says.

Work to build a new storage reservoir, alongside the existing one on Kitchener Rd, will begin early next year, further boosting the security of Waiuku’s water supply.