Two new water reservoirs, set to bring 50 million litres of capacity for Hamilton’s firefighting, growth and essential services, have passed critical legislative hurdles.
The reservoir site on Lake Domain Reserve has been designated under the Resource Management Act for two new reservoirs. Hamilton City Council also today approved the reclassification of the land under the Reserves Act at its Community Committee meeting. The site is next to the existing Ruakiwi Reservoir.
The decisions pave the way for construction of two new 25 million litre reservoirs. The Council says construction of the first reservoir will start this year, with a second one potentially required from around 2040.
Chair of the Growth and Economic Development Committee, Councillor Maria Huata, says completing the legislative process is a significant step forward for Hamilton.
“Achieving all the required approvals is a big milestone for our city. Reliable, high‑quality drinking water is critical for Hamilton to grow sustainably, support our communities and businesses, and safeguard essential services like healthcare and firefighting,” she said.
“This project is about planning ahead, making sure we have the infrastructure in place to support a strong, resilient central city now and into the future.”
The Council said the existing reservoir is nearly 100 years old and doesn’t have the capacity to support forecast population growth.
“The new reservoirs are essential to support a growing central city, provide capacity for firefighting, and continue supplying the Waikato Hospital,” Council said in a statement.
Construction of the first reservoir also includes features designed to enhance public use of this part of the Lake Domain Reserve, including a public viewing path around the reservoir, a new path connecting the reservoir to the lake with interactive features for visitors, and landscaping and native planting throughout the reserve.
“Following significant technical, environmental and cultural investigations, the Lake Domain Reserve site was chosen as the best location for the reservoirs. A primary factor is the site’s height, allowing gravity to assist water supply through the network. The site is also close to the central city, reducing the cost to connect the reservoir to existing pipes.”
As well as the formal consultation completed through the designation and reserve reclassification processes, Council carried out three rounds of public and local resident engagement during development of the project. Overall, feedback showed strong support for the reservoir design and associated features, including the public viewing path, Council said.
