Delivering Wellington's Emergency Water Network

A significant earthquake in the Wellington region will result in damage to the potable water network, and could result in parts of the region being without water for long periods. The Kaikoura earthquake in 2016 was a clear reminder of the risks facing the Wellington region should a large earthquake occur. To overcome this, Wellington Water Ltd (WWL) initiated the Community Infrastructure Resilience project. The goal of this project is to provide 20L per person per day of potable water within 1000m of their residence.

To achieve this resilience goal, a series of 22 community water stations were designed and built within a 15-month period. Two types of water sources were identified for use at these water stations; ground water bores and surface water sources, where surface water sources are typically small streams and rivers. These water stations are strategically located around the Wellington region to ensure all communities have access to an emergency water supply. The 35-year design period for the water stations is based on containerised water treatment plants that can become operational within 7 days following an earthquake.

This paper:

Outlines the expected “water islands” concept that will occur within the Wellington region, and the temporary distribution network that will be set up to supply 20L per person per day within 1000m of their residence

Provides an overview of the operational plan for these water stations, and how multiple stakeholders and the local communities were engaged

Discusses the challenges that have been overcome in designing water treatment plants and an associated delivery network for emergency community operation and long-term readiness

Details the implementation and operation of the containerised water treatment plants and the resilience network

By installing the 22 water stations and developing a temporary distribution network, the Wellington region has created a resilient water supply network that is well prepared for the next significant earthquake.