The construction of a new water reservoir for Wānaka will improve capability and resilience in the water supply, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) says.

A new steel plate reservoir near Beacon Point has capacity for 5,500,000 litres of water, which adds to the existing concrete reservoir tank’s 3,500,000 litres of capacity.

Two new reservoirs for Glenorchy have also been completed.

The additional capacity means older infrastructure can be safely taken offline if required, QLDC property and infrastructure general manager Tony Avery said.

“Council continues to invest in three waters infrastructure throughout the district, and the completion of these key projects will ensure we meet current and future water supply demands, while also providing for firefighting demands if the need arises,” Tony said.

“We’ve significantly increased the storage capacity at both the Beacon Point site in Wānaka and in Glenorchy.”

People should use water wisely this summer, Tony said.

“Summer is a thirsty season when it comes to our water network, and as warm and dry weather starts to make itself at home we need to continue treating water as a precious resource,” he said.

“Increased water usage can put a strain on our infrastructure and increase the potential need for temporary water restrictions, so we’re asking everyone to consider their water use at all times.”

PHOTO: Supplied