The Levin Water Treatment Plant upgrade is helping future-proof the town's water supply.
Levin, 15 April 2016 - Phase one of the upgrade features the construction of a new six-million-litre reservoir tank, measuring 31 metres in diameter and nine metres high. It adds to two existing concrete reservoirs - a four-million-litre tank built in 1965, and a 2.5-million-litre tank built in 1943.
The new reservoir at the Gladstone Road plant was blessed by Muaūpoko Iwi representatives at an official opening ceremony this morning, attended by Horowhenua District Councillors, staff, and contractors.
Council's Projects Manager Gerry O'Neill says this will provide the town with at least 24 hours of water storage capacity. Previously storage capacity had been 19 hours typically, but only 13 hours during peak demand in summer.
Mr O'Neill says the new reservoir tank is made of glass-fused-to-steel which makes it corrosion-resistant and easy to maintain.
Manufactured in the United Kingdom, the components were shipped to New Zealand and then assembled on site at the water treatment plant.
Mr O'Neill says the tank consists of seven rings and a roof structure. The first two rings were bolted together and then the roof was constructed on top of them. After that, the entire structure was jacked up off the ground to allow the successive steel rings to be bolted underneath.
"It was really quite a simple process, and then it was just a case of connecting the pipework between the new tank and the two existing tanks."
District Mayor Brendan Duffy said it was important to acknowledge the symbolism of this morning's ceremony, including the importance of the relationship with tangata whenua.
"It's not just a blessing and a walk around the tank, followed by a cup of tea; it symbolises the conclusion of this part of the project and it recognises the significance of the awa and the water from it that will be delivered to this community for the next 100 years," he said.
"You can drive past and see the tank, but what you don't see is what's under the ground and the magnitude of work behind it."
Future phases of the upgrade to be carried out in the next year include a new clarifier and UV treatment system. Mr O'Neill says this will improve the water quality to achieve a higher grading under the Drinking Water Standards of New Zealand.
Horowhenua District Council operates five drinking water supply schemes, with Levin's the last to be upgraded, following Tokomaru, Shannon, Foxton and Foxton Beach.