We are in the early stages of a new project at the Motueka Water Treatment Plant. We are planning to replace the eight existing water storage tanks on this site in Parker Street with a single, modern storage tank.

The 3.5-million-dollar treatment plant was commissioned three years ago. It uses multiple water treatment barriers and follows the NZ Drinking Water Standards and Water Services Act requirements for the treatment/removal of protozoa and bacteria. It includes UV treatment, cartridge filtration, and residual chlorine disinfection.

The proposed new tank will hold around 1,000 cubic metres of water and will be approximately 8 metres wide and 8 metres high, with a 2-metre antenna on top. This upgrade will help future-proof Motueka’s water supply and improve the overall resilience of the system.

This site provides water storage for much of Motueka, and the current capacity is lower than what is recommended for a town of this size. The new tank will also improve how the plant operates by maintaining more consistent pressure.

It will increase emergency storage in case of temporary disruptions like earthquakes, power outages, or water quality issues, and provide additional supply to meet high water demand, especially during events such as firefighting.

We’re expecting construction to begin early next year.