What is this project?

The Hautapu reservoir currently serves the water needs of the Hautapu area via a pressure reducing valve system that is now operating at full capacity. It can no longer meet current demand let alone the demand that will come with growth.

This project will install a new pump station at the Hautapu reservoir site, with a system that has the capacity to service both current demand and the future growth. The pump station will also meet fire flow requirements.

The pump station will initially operate from the existing reservoir. It is designed and sized to work with a future 10-million-litre reservoir, planned for construction around 2034/35.

Why is this needed?

Water pressure and supply volume are not visible infrastructure problems until they become serious ones. The current pressure reducing valve is fully open. There is no remaining capacity. We are not waiting for a failure or a fire to expose the problem. We are fixing it now, as part of our co-ordinated programme, so this critical infrastructure is in place before Hautapu needs it.

The future 10-million-litre reservoir

A new 10-million-litre reservoir is planned for the Hautapu reservoir site, with construction anticipated around 2034/35. This will provide significant water storage capacity to support the full buildout of the Hautapu growth area over the coming decades.

Site preparation and land acquisition - including negotiations with Fonterra, who own adjacent land - are already underway to ensure the land is protected and available when construction is ready to proceed. The pump station being built now is designed to serve both the existing reservoir and the future larger one.

Note on Waikato Waters Ltd

From July 1 2026, Waikato Waters Ltd (WWL) will take over operation of Waipā District Council's water and wastewater assets on behalf of the six shareholding Councils. The Hautapu Reservoir Pump Station project will transfer to WWL at that point.

Council is working closely with WWL to ensure a smooth transition - with the project planned, procured, and as far into construction as possible before the handover, so there is no loss of momentum on this essential work.