Waiwerowero - Eastern Hills Reservoir, Naenae/Fairfield, Lower Hutt
We are planning the construction of a new reservoir in Lower Hutt. This will add 15 million litres of water storage, significantly improving the network’s overall resilience and ability to manage periods of low water supply.
If you have any questions about this work, please contact:
Tiaki Wai, 0800 TIAKI WAI (0800 842 549)
Latest Updates
We're currently working through tender process for the design and build of the Waiwerowero - Eastern Hills Reservoir
Crews have now completed geotechnical investigations along the Summit Road Firebreak, close to the existing Naenae Reservoir.
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.
We're currently working through the procurement phase, having recently put out the tender for the Design and Construction of the Waiwerowero - Eastern Hills Reservoir. We expect to award a contract to the successful tenderer by the end of 2026.
We expect construction to start in 2027, and be completed by 2029.
Tiaki Wai (formally Wellington Water) was granted Resource Consent, and Hutt City Council Designation both in 2025 for this work.
Key project info - benefits, timeframe and approach
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The new Waiwerowero Eastern Hills Reservoir will significantly increase the storage capacity and resilience of Lower Hutt’s water supply.
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This will safeguard the city’s water supply both now and into the future, helping withstand major earthquakes and weather events.
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The new reservoir will be able to store 15 million litres of water, equivalent to six Olympic sized swimming pools, serving around 50,000 residents.
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It’ll sit close to the existing Naenae Reservoir – an 11.3 million litre square reservoir, that will be retained in service.
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A new reservoir will reduce impacts on customers from network maintenance activity and repairs.
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There will be no impact on drinking water supply while we install the new reservoir.
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It will be constructed to modern seismic standards, providing safe drinking water that is critical to community survival, service restoration, and recovery following an earthquake.
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The site has numerous attributes including the required elevation, and an existing reservoir with much of the necessary infrastructure for a new build.
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Another factor is site accessibility, and being undeveloped land, there is room to landscape after construction and minimise aesthetic impacts. Above ground
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Construction is expected to start in 2027 and be completed by 2030.
What we're doing
We are building 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 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 (prior to Tiaki Wai starting in July 2026) investigated 28 possible sites for the proposed new reservoir. A site next to the current Naenae Reservoir on Summit Road, Fairfield, was chosen 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
The new resesrvoir - key facts
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.
All Updates
We're currently progressing through the tender process and expect to award the design and construct contract for the Waiwerowero - Eastern Hills Reservoir by the end of 2026.
Reservoir construction is expected to start from late 2027 (TBC) and be completed by 2029.
A big thanks to local residents and track users for your understanding in recent weeks. Crews have now fully completed geotechnical investigations along the Summit Road Firebreak track close to the existing Naenae Reservoir.
The insight gathered from these investigations will help us design the new reservoir planned for the area, which is expected to be constructed in 2028-29.
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.
The resource consent provides approval to construct a new water supply reservoir including associated vegetation clearance, geotechnical investigation bores, earthworks, stream works, dewatering and creation of impervious surfaces and associated stormwater discharges.
Hutt City Council received a Notice of Requirement for a designation for a new reservoir at the top of Summit Road, Fairfield (37 Summit Road).
This designation was approved on 20 February 2025.
The designation provides for construction, operation and maintenance of the reservoir. Construction activities will include bulk earthworks, vegetation clearance and installation of new pipes connecting to the reservoir.
You can view the Notice of Requirement document on the Hutt City Council website, where the Independent Commissioner provides background and reasons for the decision.
Background:
What is a Notice of Requirement?
A Notice of Requirement is an application by a requiring authority such as a Minister of the Crown, a network utility operator or a local authority for a designation for a particular activity, often a public work.
Designations are district plan provisions that allow land to be used for public works and other essential projects. If the needs of a requiring authority change, the requiring authority can apply for their existing designation to be altered or removed.
Information about designations
When an application for a Notice of Requirement is received by Council we process it in accordance with the Resource Management Act.
- This may involve public notification, submissions and a hearing (if required).
- Following notification, submissions and a hearing, Council makes a recommendation to the requiring authority that they either confirm, modify or withdraw the requirement.
- The requiring authority then accepts or rejects our recommendation in whole or in part.
- The decision is then notified and there is an appeal period. If a Notice of Requirement is confirmed, it is included as a designation in the District Plan.
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