Omāroro Reservoir

A major water infrastructure project in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellinton, the Omāroro Reservoir improves the city’s drinking water resilience and emergency preparedness.

This 35 million-litre, reinforced concrete reservoir is buried beneath Prince of Wales Park near Mount Cook. One of only a few buried reservoirs in Aotearoa, the underground structure minimises visual impact and maintains public access to the park.

The build involved complex excavation and backfilling in steep, constrained terrain, with careful management of stormwater and sediment to protect the surrounding environment. Seismic resilience was a key design feature. The reservoir is built to withstand a 1 in 5000-year earthquake event, meaning it will continue to supply water to over 70,000 people in central Wellington, Thorndon, Newtown, Mount Cook, Hataitai, Kilbirnie, Miramar, Strathmore and Seatoun, as well as Wellington Hospital, the event of a major earthquake.

This project plays a vital role in strengthening Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s water network, providing long-term supply security for central and southern suburbs while supporting broader emergency response planning.