Waimea Community Dam reservoir ready to fill

The Waimea Community Dam has reached a milestone with the closing of the reservoir, meaning it is now ready to fill.

The reservoir closed at 4pm on Friday and will eventually hold 13 million cubic metres of water to provide water security to the region.

Subject to weather over the winter, Waimea Water Ltd chief executive Mike Scott expects the reservoir to be filled for next summer.

The Waimea Community Dam, a public private partnership between the Tasman District Council and Waimea Irrigators, is the first large dam to be constructed in New Zealand in 25 years and the first publicly funded large dam to be constructed since the Clyde Dam was finished 30 years ago.

“This milestone of closure signifies completion of the dam and spillway and now allows us to fill the reservoir over this winter. The river will be diverted through a temporary pipe over the next six months, while the reservoir is being filled and the permanent pipework and systems installed and commissioned,” Mike says.

The dam’s construction cost is expected to come in at around $198 million, up from the original approved budget of $104.4m in December 2018.

From this coming summer, the Waimea Community Dam will provide water supply and security to the Tasman District to support the fast-growing and expanding Richmond and Waimea areas. It will also support the region’s primary sector and will improve river health in the Lee and Waimea rivers.

Mike says the dam provides regional water security in the face of the impacts of climate change.

“Scientists tell us to expect the warming climate to create greater storm intensities and periods of lower precipitation and dyer soils. Our dam will help mitigate these impacts by catching the storms and letting them out through the natural system in dry periods.”

Fulton Hogan Taylors Joint Venture project director John Roche, says the project has drawn on the collective capabilities of those involved.

“The Fulton Hogan Taylors Joint Venture team have been living and breathing the construction of the Waimea Community Dam since 2018 and are delighted to mark the achievement of the dam’s inaugural filling. This milestone is a testament to the perseverance and expertise of all parties who have helped make this possible.

“We look forward to the successful completion of this project, and seeing the benefits it will bring to the community.”

Tasman Mayor Tim King said it is “brilliant” to reach this stage in the dam’s construction.

“This project has been challenging for many reasons but we can now look forward to the dam delivering the economic, social and environmental benefits to future generations of Tasman and Nelson residents.”

Waimea Irrigators’ chair Murray King says knowing that the reservoir can soon start to fill is “awesome” as it means the community is on track to having more water for summer.

“Giving growers some assurance of water supply will inform their spring planting for the summer season, particularly important as we are expecting a windy and dry El Nino summer. I am sure there will be a lot of relief around the region that the dam is on track to replenish the Waimea River and aquifers at the end of this year.”