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Projects

Hillcrest Reservoir and Water Supply Zone

We are improving the resilience of water supply to the Hillcrest area and making sure the Hillcrest Community have a steady, safe and reliable supply of drinking water for years to come.

Overview

Currently, the Hillcrest area is supplied directly from the Waiora Drinking Water Treatment Plant. The project will establish a dedicated Hillcrest pressure zone and provide local water storage through the construction of a new reservoir and associated infrastructure. This will reduce reliance on the treatment plant to meet day-to-day demand and ensure the community continues to receive a safe and reliable water supply during peak demand periods, planned maintenance, and emergency events.

The project also supports Hamilton's future growth by addressing existing water storage deficiencies, improving network performance, and enhancing the ability to monitor, manage, and protect the city's water supply system.

What we are doing

IAWAI is planning to build water storage reservoirs capable of holding 10 million litres of working storage volume of drinking water at 111 Cambridge Road, the site of the decommissioned Hillcrest Reservoir and former Hillcrest bowling club.

The project includes water storage reservoirs, a pump station, and bulk main water pipes that will connect the new reservoirs to the treatment plant. It will also include network pipes to supply water to the Hillcrest water zone.

The benefits of two smaller reservoirs

We’re proposing two smaller round reservoirs rather than one large tank.

  • It makes better use of the site
  • It is easier to operate and maintain the water system as needed
  • It allows one tank to be serviced while the other stays online

How the reservoirs are being designed

The site layout and the dimensions of the reservoirs are being developed with the aim of reducing visual, noise and amenity impacts while meeting operating requirements.

Further information on the preferred site configuration will be shared as the design progresses.

Where the pipes will be located

We’re still assessing options for which roads the pipes will be installed under.

Further information on the preferred route will be shared as the design progresses.

Why we are doing it

The water supply network across Hamilton City has been progressively separated into water supply zones over the past decade. Water supply zones are a common way of managing urban water networks. By dividing the city into separate supply zones, water can be delivered at the right pressure, infrastructure can be maintained more efficiently, and the network can continue to grow while remaining reliable and resilient.

The existing Hillcrest area will be last part of the existing built parts of the city to have a dedicated water supply zone created; Water for the Hillcrest area is currently fed directly from the Waiora Water Treatment Plant to residential and non-residential customers. If there is a problem at the treatment plant or with the pipes supplying the area, water supply to Hillcrest could be affected.

Creating a dedicated water supply zone requires dedicated water storage reservoirs and dedicated filling main to fill the reservoirs, and a pump station and associated water pipes out to the customers.

The benefits of a water supply zone

  • Provide 24 hours of backup water The new reservoirs will store enough water to keep taps running for at least 24 hours while any issue at the treatment plant or on the network is fixed.
  • Support peak demand The new storage and water supply zone will help maintain water flow and pressure to customers during busy water‑use periods such as mornings, hot days, and summer. It will also support future growth in the Hillcrest area and wider city.
  • Improve system resilience The new reservoirs and dedicated supply zone will help maintain supply during network maintenance, disruptions, or emergency events.
  • Support future growth The project will help ensure the water network can continue to meet the needs of the growing Hillcrest community.

Why 111 Cambridge Road?

Several sites in the Hillcrest area were considered for a new drinking water reservoir. Following this assessment, two locations were shortlisted for further investigation: Hillcrest Park and the former Cambridge Bowling Club site.

The two sites were then assessed against a range of factors, including operational needs, environmental impacts, planning requirements, cultural considerations, community impacts, and construction requirements.

Following this assessment, 111 Cambridge Road was selected as the preferred site.

Reasons we selected 111 Cambridge Road

  • Higher ground The elevation of the site will allow approx. 80% of the water supply zone to be fed from the reservoir via gravity. This reduces the need for pumping.
  • Close to existing water infrastructure Reducing the length of new pipelines needed to fill the reservoir.
  • Reliable supply Due to the site elevation, the reservoir can continue supplying water to much of the Hillcrest area, even during some pump station outages.
  • Flat land The site is relatively flat reducing the number of earthworks and construction required.
  • Previous water infrastructure This site currently houses an existing reservoir and has already been used for water infrastructure.
  • Manageable construction impacts Temporary construction impacts, such as noise, dust and traffic, can be effectively managed through construction management plans and consent conditions.

Community engagement and more information

We are currently speaking to homeowners, residents and business owners next to, or near the site about the project, answering questions and taking their feedback.

Next year we will be asking for feedback through a formal consultation process. This is where the community can have their say on the look and feel of the reservoirs. We'll also be hosting drop-in sessions throughout the project.

Contact us

If you would like to know more, you can email us at hillcrestreservoir@iawai.co.nz 

Related information

Proposed Hillcrest Reservoir - Options assessment report - Rev D (PDF 177MB)

Hillcrest recommended site report (PDF 119MB)