Water supply to Morrinsville continues to be a matter of strong community interest. As part of the LTP consultation we asked the community if they wanted one or two additional water sources in Morrinsville, and with 63% of submitters preferring two new supply sources, work is now under way.

The new bore in the North East of Morrinsville is in place and we now have draft resource consent conditions from the Regional Council, which will allow us to treat and supply additional water for Morrinsville. We have secured land for the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and the has been awarded for the WTP design and construction. This supplementary supply will provide resilience when there are disruptions to the town's current supply, relief during summer periods with the potential for less severe water restrictions, and cater for growth. A temporary plant is scheduled to be installed in 2023 and then a permanent plant in 2024. 

Instead of drilling two bores with smaller water takes, we have applied to take more water from the new bore – this will be more cost effective, but result in the same amount of water. This will supply the Lockerbie side of Morrinsville, but will also be able to support the town supply.

We're also working on a “Water Master Plan”. This plan will assess our current infrastructure and water use, and provide recommendations for how we can ensure continued supply of safe, clean drinking water to our growing communities for the next 50 years.