Water Issues Soon to Improve for Citys Western Residents

A major infrastructure project will soon provide greater security of water supply to residents and businesses in New Plymouth’s western suburbs.

Earthworks have begun on the site of a new 4.5mL reservoir on Barrett Rd, which will ensure a higher and more consistent water pressure for homes from Barrett to Omata through to Spotswood and down to the port.

It will also provide greater water security for industry, and meet future residential demand in the Barrett and Cowling roads area, as identified in the council’s urban growth strategy.

“Currently we’re supplying water to the western areas from the Veale Rd reservoir, leaving a large part of the city without its own dedicated water storage reservoir,” says Manager Water and Wastes Brent Manning.

“The new Barrett Rd reservoir will fix that.”

An additional benefit of the new reservoir will be better control of water pressure throughout the city. “Commissioning of the Barrett Road reservoir will enable us to define dedicated supply zones and stabilise, and in may cases lower, pressures throughout the zones,” says Mr Manning.

“In the case of parts of the Barrett reservoir zone, pressures will actually increase slightly, as will fire-fighting capacity.

“With future pressure reduction and the help of the public, I believe we will be able to reduce the amount of water we use by between 10 and 30 per cent – which also means a cost saving through not having to treat as much water.”

Construction of the reservoir will be completed this summer, and it will be commissioned after the trunk main connecting it to the Veale Rd reservoir is finished. The trunk main contract will go out to tender shortly.