Steel panels for two new reservoirs for Methven’s drinking water scheme are expected to arrive this month, marking a new stage in a project that will provide highly resilient water storage.

Concrete foundations for the two large reservoirs have been laid and the steel panels will be assembled over the coming months; underground pipes linking the new reservoirs to the existing plant and a new future membrane treatment plant to be built nearby are currently being laid.

The reservoirs are being constructed by Reliant Solutions, which has comprehensive experience in liquid containment solutions across New Zealand and Australia. The reservoirs will have a combined capacity of 1128 cubic metres and help manage peak demand on the town’s drinking water scheme.

Infrastructure Services Group Manager Neil McCann said the reservoir project was on track, now that contractors were back on site following some delays because of Covid-19.

“We are looking forward to seeing the reservoirs assembled and will be working closely with the contractor during the planned water pipe cut-in. We’ll be advising the community if they will be affected during certain periods of this work.”

After the new reservoirs are completed, the old concrete reservoir will be drained to allow a comprehensive structural inspection to determine if it can still be used safely for storage.

The reservoirs are the first stage of a wider upgrade of Methven’s water supply. A contract for the supply of new membrane treatment equipment has been awarded and consultants are finalising designs for how the plant will look.

The reservoirs and treatment plant have a combined cost of $9.4 million. Construction of the membrane plant is planned to start later this year and could take nine months; it will include improved pre-treatment and then filter the water to a much higher degree.

The new treatment plant is designed to provide effective treatment even under extremely poor weather conditions.