A ceremony to clear the way for work to begin on the new Ōtaki reservoir was held today, reports Kāpiti Coast District Council Mayor Janet Holborow.

“The ceremony, or whakawatea, led by Ngā Hapu ō Ōtaki, recognised the land’s ongoing role in sustaining its community. In days gone by, mana whenua gathered food from this area. Then the land was farmed and now it will support a drinking water reservoir,” said Mayor Holborow.

“The ceremony also acknowledged the workers who will build the reservoir and wished them a safe project.”

Works begin this week. The first stage involves clearing the area and building earth bunds which will help screen the reservoir. The next stage, construction of the reservoir foundations, is expected to be completed before the end of the year. Construction of the foundation pad and then the main tank will begin in early 2024. In February, installation of the pipes from the reservoir site to County Road pump station will begin. All going to plan, the reservoir will be up and running in late 2024.

Council is working with a group of interested community members to develop a planting plan for the reservoir site. The guiding principle of the planting is to plant native trees to help screen the reservoir and attract birds to the area.

The new reservoir will improve the resilience and fire-fighting capability of the water supply as well as support existing and future homes in Ōtaki. It will also provide more water storage for emergency purposes.

Over the next six years Kāpiti Coast District Council will deliver $50 million worth of infrastructure upgrades in Ōtaki. This work is supported by $29.3 million from the government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund and is designed to improve our community’s resilience and support current and future housing needs. Projects include improvements to Ōtaki drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and transport networks.

For more information: kapiticoast.govt.nz/otaki-reservoir

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