New Ōtūmahi Reservoir holds 4.2 million litres of water
- Kieran Watkins
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
A major new water reservoir above Ōtūmahi Lane in Te Teko is now complete, marking a significant milestone in water resilience for the Edgecumbe and Te Teko communities.
The Ōtūmahi Reservoir holds up to 4.2 million litres of treated drinking water — enough to fill nearly two Olympic-sized swimming pools, or supply around 20,000 people for two summer days. It’s designed to support everyday domestic use, firefighting, and essential services such as schools, marae, trade premises, and local industries.
Water for the reservoir is drawn from two bores at the Ōtūmahi Water Treatment Plant — one commissioned in 2017 and the second added in 2024. After treatment, surface-mounted pumps lift the water to the elevated reservoir through a new pipeline. From there, a delivery pipe connects the reservoir to the existing network on Paul Road, maintaining consistent pressure across the supply area.
“The reservoir was built over seven months using reinforced concrete panels made locally,” says Manager Three Waters, Jim Finlay. “Twelve contracting companies contributed to the project — nine local and three specialist firms — with exceptional coordination and no delays.”
Key project features include 1.9 kilometres of welded high-density polyethylene piping, stainless steel pipe manifolds and fittings, water quality monitoring equipment, and new retaining walls, drainage, and landscaping.
Water quality is monitored 24/7 through Whakatāne District Council’s real-time data platform, with monitoring equipment installed both at the treatment plant and after the reservoir. The structure has also been engineered to withstand earthquakes and extreme weather.
The project forms part of a wider infrastructure upgrade, with pipe sizing designed to accommodate future network expansion. While the additional storage won’t eliminate the need for water restrictions during extended dry periods, it provides greater buffer capacity and improved resilience when bore water availability is reduced
