Turning on the tap and getting water is something most of the city takes for granted.
But during Cyclone Gabrielle, thousands of people not on the city’s mains water supply were left without water when widespread power failures meant water pumps were inoperable, while others were faced with potentially contaminated water as rivers and streams spilled their banks.
Ensuring Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s water resilience is an ongoing job for Watercare, which is adding a third reservoir to its Redoubt Road facility.
Howick Local Board members were at the expansion project recently to witness a concrete pour on a scale most had never seen before.
Board chair Damian Light says its was interesting to be on site to see the massive water storage project taking shape.
“It was great to see it first-hand and to be able to talk to the team involved to understand the scale of the project.
“At the moment, Redoubt Road stores up to 120 million litres of water but adding a third reservoir into the mix will increase capacity to 165 million litres.
“Anyone who has ever seen a domestic water tank will understand that adding 45 million litres of storage is no small undertaking.
“Once completed, the $60 million reservoir will be 106 metres long, 77 metres wide, eight metres high, consist of 650 tonnes of steel reinforcing, and hold the equivalent of 18 Olympic-sized swimming pools.”
More than 80 per cent of Auckland’s treated water passes through the reservoir every day, and adding a third reservoir will increase resilience in the network, future-proofing Auckland’s water supply and catering for growth.
The project, which is decreasing its carbon footprint by adding fly ash to the cement mix, should be completed next year.
Watch the ‘Delicate Dance of the Concrete Polishers’ video here.
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