A multi-million dollar project to strengthen the water supply resilience in Te Kūiti has finally broken ground.

A sod-turning ceremony on 21 January officially launched the start of construction, which will see a new reservoir built on Hospital Road and a direct watermain line from the water treatment plant.

Waitomo District Council Deputy Mayor Eady Manawaiti turned the official sod and was supported by his fellow elected members, iwi, Waitomo Council staff, stakeholders and other key members of the community.

General Manager Infrastructure Services, Shyamal Ram hailed the project as a great example of perseverance and dedication to delivering improvements for the community for generations to come.

The contract for the Te Kūiti Water Supply Resilience Project was awarded to HEB Construction Ltd in August with the aim of enhancing reducing the reliance on the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) by increasing overall storage capacity and improving flow efficiency.

Physical construction is scheduled to commence in February, with an anticipated completion date of December 2026.

Upon completion of the project, the new assets will be vested to the new Waikato Waters Ltd Council Controlled Organisation (CCO), for which WDC joined in July 2025.

The loan raised to fund the project will also be taken on by Waikato Waters Ltd.