Eastern Hills Reservoir Project
We're working with Hutt City Council on a proposal to build a new reservoir in Naenae/Fairfield to ensure Lower Hutt's water needs can be met.
If you have any questions about this work, please contact:
Tiaki Wai, 0800 TIAKI WAI (0800 842 549)
Latest Updates
Geotech investigations have started along the Summit Road Firebreak and close to Balgownie Grove in Fairfield, Lower Hutt to inform the design of the Eastern Hills Reservoir.
Investigation work is expected to start in late January 2026, which will help inform the design of the new Eastern Hills Reservoir
Submissions have now closed on the notice of requirement (NOR) for the new reservoir.
Public consultation phase
We want to hear what the community thinks about the proposal and get your feedback before we apply for consent under the Resource Management Act.
The feedback we get will help inform our final design and construction methodology.
We're holding two community drop-in sessions where more information will be available, and our team will be on hand to answer your questions:
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5.30pm - 7.30pm, Thursday 9 March 2023, Co Pop Up Community Space, 11 Hillary Court, Naenae
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9am – 12pm, Saturday 11 March 2023, CoCo Pop Up Community Space, 11 Hillary
Send us feedback or ask us a question. Please email NaenaeReservoirProject@wellingtonwater.co.nz
Project timeline
Pending approval construction could begin in 2025 and take 2 - 3 years to construct. Our timeline is:
- March 2023 – Community engagement
- May 2023 – Prepare reports and submissions
- June - July 2023 – Lodge a notice of requirement (NOR), on behalf of HCC for a new designation to HCC and a resource consent application to Greater Wellington Regional Council under the Resource Management Act 1991 for the construction of the reservoir.
Why do we need a second reservoir?
Lower Hutt’s water supply network is vulnerable to disruption and needs to improve its water supply resilience.
Building a new reservoir will improve the resilience of Lower Hutt's water supply ensuring that water needs can be adequately met in the case of a significant earthquake or weather event. It will also reduce disruption on a day-to-day basis for network maintenance, repairs and upgrades and cater for Lower Hutt’s future growth needs.
What we're doing
We are proposing to build a new reservoir immediately behind the existing reservoir on Summit Road, Naenae. A delivery pipeline will also be built to distribute water to residents and businesses.
The proposed new reservoir is part of a long term programme of works that includes upgrades of the existing Naenae, Taita and Gracefield reservoirs to increase storage capacity and improve seismic resilience.
Why have we chosen this site?
Wellington Water investigated 28 possible sites for the proposed new reservoir. A site next to the current Naenae Reservoir on Summit Road, Fairfield, has been identified as the preferred location because:
- It is at the required elevation
- The existing reservoir infrastructure and road access offers efficiencies
- Undeveloped land is available to construct a reservoir and allow for landscaping to reduce visual impact
- It is located close to a developed access way
- No additional fault line crossings
- It provides better value for money than other options looked at
About the proposed reservoir
The new reservoir would be able to store 15 million litres of water, providing drinking water to more than 50,000 residents and improving access to safe drinking water following a major earthquake.
The preferred location is next to the existing Naenae Reservoir - an 11.3 million litre square reservoir that will be retained in service.
Building a new reservoir will require earthworks and vegetation clearance, all areas will be replanted with the exception of the access road through the site and around the perimeter of the reservoir. Taller planting will occur around the reservoir to help screen the visual impact.
- Storage volume of 15 million litres of water - (equivalent to six Olympic sized swimming pools), providing drinking water to more than 50,000 residents and improving access to safe drinking water following a major earthquake.
- 55 metres in diameter and 8 metres high.
- Substantial earthworks, in the realm of 60,000 cubic metres or more are needed to create a platform where the reservoir will be constructed.
- 2 – 3 year construction period.
- Delivery pipeline approximately 1 km long
The design process will be flexible to allow for innovation and efficiencies as we work through the detailed design and construct process.
What do you think about the proposal?
We want to hear what you think about the proposal. You can let us know by emailing us at NaenaeReservoirProject@wellingtonwater.co.nz
All Updates
On behalf of Hutt City Council, Wellington Water together with WSP and Griffiths are starting
geotechnical investigations near the Naenae Reservoir along the Summit Road Firebreak. This will
help us design the new Eastern Hills Reservoir.
The new 15 million litre reservoir, planned for construction in 2027, will significantly increase water
storage and resilience for the Hutt Valley. As shown in the map, the new reservoir will be located
close to the existing Naenae Reservoir.
The investigation works are expected to take place from 8 am to 5 pm on weekdays between 9 February until about April 2026.
Figure 1. The proposed Eastern Hills Reservoir project site. Crews will be drilling boreholes in various locations in the hills close to this site.
Impacts you may notice during the works:
· The drilling will generate noise. Modern equipment is being used to minimise the noise and there will be no night or weekend work.
· You may also see an increase in work vehicles in the area, specifically for properties along Balgownie Grove and Farrelly Grove/Summit Road.
· Sections of the Summit Road Firebreak track will be closed intermittently for safety during crane movements and other higher risk activities. The track closures will not be in place every day - we'll put barriers across the track on the occasions that the track is closed. If there's no barriers, the public are welcome to continue using the track. The track will remain open in the evenings, and on weekends.
· You may notice some of the vegetation clearance work, which we’re keeping to a minimum.
If you have any questions about this project, please contact:
· During business hours please get in touch with Nick Abbott, Drilling Manager at Griffiths on 04 527 7346 or 021 710 233.
· You can also reach our Customer Team via 04 912 4470 or email customer@wellingtonwater.co.nz
· After hours: Hutt City Council Call Centre, 04 570 6666.
We're about to start geotechnical investigations in the Eastern Hills above Naenae/Fairfield, Lower Hutt. This will inform the design of the new reservoir, which is expected to be constructed 2027-2029 following completion of detailed design. We expect this investigation work to start in late January 2026.
Submissions have now closed on the notice of requirement (NOR) for a new designation under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) to construct and operate the proposed new Eastern Hills water reservoir.
Hutt City Council is currently considering the submissions.
Wellington Water has lodged a notice of requirement (NOR) for a new designation under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) with
Hutt City Council to construct and operate the proposed new Eastern Hills water reservoir.
The Council has notified the application and the public has until Friday, 3 May 2024 to make a submission.
Come along to a community drop in-session to learn more about the project. Our team of experts will be there to have a chat and answer your questions ahead of submissions closing.
Tuesday 23 April, 4pm to 6:30pm
St Paul’s Church Hall, 76 Waiwhetu Road, Waterloo
We have lodged the Notice of Requirement (NOR) with Hutt City Council for a designation to construct and operate the proposed reservoir.
We are now waiting for the Council to publicly notify the NOR allowing residents and other interested parties to make submissions on the application.
We will hold a public drop-in session during the notification period allowing people to learn more about the project and have their questions answered by our experts.
We will provide details around this once the Council has notified the NOR.
To help inform design of the new Eastern Hills Reservoir project, we want to better understand the impacts this project may have on people and their way of life.
We'd love to hear from you if have some thoughts to share - especially if you're from the local community of Naenae and Fairfield suburbs.
Please let us know by completing this online survey
Your feedback helps inform development of the resource consent for the project. We expect to lodge consent applications later this year.
Also check out FAQs based on community feedback about the proposal - under the Background menu!
Drop-in session 1: 5.30pm – 7.30pm, Thursday 9 March
Drop-in session 2: 9am – 12pm, Saturday 11 March
Where: CoCo Pop Up Community Space, 11 Hillary Court, Naenae
Come and find out more about the proposed new reservoir and resource consent
Can’t make it to our drop-in sessions? Send us your feedback or ask us a question.
Please email: NaenaeReservoirProject@wellingtonwater.co.nz