Mt Wellington Water Supply Upgrade

Watercare is working to improve the supply of water to Auckland’s eastern suburbs. The Mt Wellington Water Supply Upgrade is a multi-million dollar project which involves constructing 5.5 km of new pipeline and will double the capacity of the existing system. The project is being undertaken in five stages and is expected to be completed in 2011.

Why is this work needed?
The suburbs of Mt Wellington, Ellerslie, Glen Innes, St Heliers, Mission Bay and Orakei are currently undergoing significant growth. The original watermains were laid in the 1950s, so this upgrade will ensure that the system meets the increase in water demand today and provides capacity for the next 50 years.This upgrade will also improve the security of water supply throughout the area, by ensuring the water supply can be maintained if there is a break or burst in any part of the bulk network.

What work is complete?
New watermains along St Johns and College roads, and adjacent to the intersection of Ngahue Drive and Lunn Avenue have been constructed and connected to the existing network.  In the last year the watermain construction has extended along the College Road Extension through the new Stonefields subdivision and up the northern slopes of Mount Wellington This main is now ready to connect to the existing network.

Future work:
We will continue to advise you at each stage of the project. Prior to any work a flyer will be sent to homes and businesses that are directly affected. Every effort is made to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum.

Watercare is carrying out crucial work over a  four day period, from Tuesday 24th of August until Saturday 28th August , to connect the new watermain  to the existing reservoir on Mount Wellington, which will complete Stage 3 of the Mt Wellington Water Supply Upgrade.

The required work may cause discoloured water. While this water is safe to drink, it is recommended that you run an outside tap at full flow for 3-5 minutes until it clears, and check your water before using the washing machine.

You could also find that your water pressure is lower than usual during this connection period and may notice, for example, the toilet is taking longer to fill. Your cooperation by reducing unnecessary water use during this period, such as outdoor water use, will help to reduce the impact of this.

If you have any concerns during this connection period, please contact Metrowater’s 24 hour Network Service Centre on 0800 FOR WATER (0800 367 928). 

Stages of this project include:

  • Stage 1A - the construction of a new watermain along college Road and St Johns Road.This stage is complete.
  • Stage 1B - the construction of a short length of pipeline and associated chambers within the grassed area adjacent to the intersection of College Road and Lunn Avenue. This stage is complete.
  • Stage 1C - the upgrade of the existing reservoir, including the replacement of the reservoir roof with a new low profile steel roof and the replacement of pipework within the reservoir site. This stage is complete.
  • Stage 2 - the relocation of an existing Orakei Watermain. A new watermain will be laid along Dell Avenue and Orakei Road. The existing main between Brookland Place and Tonks Street will be abandoned.  The pipe has been laid but the new main still needs to be connected to the existing network.
  • Stage 3 - the construction of a new pipeline from Mt Wellington Reservoir to the intersection of College Road and Merton Road. Construction on this stage is compete and the watermain is scheduled to be connected to the existing network on the 24th August 2010. The majority of the construction will be combined with the construction of the Stonefields subdivision.
  • Stage 4 - the rehabilitation of the existing Orakei Watermain and the rehabilitation existing St Heliers Watermain north of Merton Road; This stage is deferred until after the Super City amalgamation.
  • Stage 5 - the relocation of the existing St Heliers Watermain between Lunn Ave and Norman Lesser Drive to coincide with the planned widening of Ngahue Drive.  This work will commence on the 30th august 2010 and be complete by December 2010.

Who to contact?
If you have any concerns during this connection period, please contact Metrowater’s 24 hour Network Service Centre on 0800 FOR WATER (0800 367 928).

If you have any questions about this project, please contact:
Sharon Danks
Project Manager
Watercare Services Ltd
09 539 7473 or
sdanks@water.co.nz