Construction underway on new Foxton water reservoir

Published on June 08, 2018

Horowhenua District Council has commenced construction of Foxton’s new water reservoir.

The reservoir will measure 10.8m diameter and 5.8m high, and will hold 500 cubic metres of water when complete.

Horowhenua Alliance Planning Manager Gerry O’Neill, who led the project, said the reservoir will increase community resilience in a civil defence emergency or major fire. It will also provide greater drinking water storage capacity for the area.

“Five hundred cubic metres provides about 500,000 litres of water. The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management recommends at least three litres of drinking water per person per day, plus more for cooking and washing. For a town the size of Foxton, with around 2,500 people, the additional water from this reservoir will be significant,” he said.

The reservoir is being built near the Foxton Water Treatment Plant in Seaview Reserve.

Mr O’Neill said the site was chosen to keep the town’s water treatment infrastructure in one place, and for its unobtrusiveness.

“We’ve chosen a part of the gardens that is less well used for recreation and less visible than some of the other options available,” he said.

“When work is complete, the reservoir will be fenced and surrounded by screen planting to further minimise the visual impact.”

Mr O’Neill described the reservoir as an investment for Foxton’s future.

“We need to ensure that the communities in townships like Foxton continue to have access to clean drinking water. This new reservoir will help increase the resilience of supply for the community in an earthquake or other event that prevents the water treatment plant from producing water.”

Increasing Foxton’s drinking-water storage capacity would also help when the Foxton supply is needed to supplement the Foxton Beach water supply during peak summer periods, he said.

Construction of the reservoir is expected to take around two weeks. Pipework will then be added to connect it to the rest of the Foxton Water Treatment Plant.