Balmoral/Tuapeka Rural Water Scheme

Balmoral/Tuapeka Rural Water Scheme – Progress update

19 December 2025

Great progress continues to be made for the Balmoral/Tuapeka rural water scheme, as water is pumped through much of the new network.

The new Greenfield Water Treatment Plant is now pumping water to lower and upper Greenfield pump stations and is supplying those that were on the Balmoral 1, Tuapeka East and West rural water schemes. Only those on the previous Balmoral 2 scheme are yet to be connected, and then the final stage of connecting Lawrence will follow once full compliance of the scheme is reached.

Solutions are being investigated now for the Balmoral 2 connections, and will be a priority for the new year. Once Balmoral 2 customers are connected, the old Waitahuna water treatment plant will be switched off and decommissioned.

Regular progress updates are provided to Council for the project. On 6 August 2025 Council approved an additional $1.2m of expenditure to complete the Rural Water Scheme, taking the total project costs now to $26.2m. In doing so Council also initiated an independent external review into the expenditure. That review is complete and identified several recommendations for system improvement that are to be implemented. Council is satisfied with the outcome and the recommendations. The funding for the additional expenditure is being determined via the Annual Plan 2026/27 process.

This project secures the future water supply for a significant portion of the Clutha District, and will lead to the decommissioning of three water treatment plants. Evans Flat plant has now been decommissioned, Lawrence and the Waitahuna water treatment plants will follow in due course.

Council reminds customers that boil water notices remain in place for the previous Balmoral 1 and 2, Tuapeka East and West schemes, until Council is assured through test results that the water meets the drinking water standards.

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Balmoral-Tuapeka Rural Water Scheme progress updates

24 November 2025

Water is now running from the new Greenfield Water Treatment Plant to the Cairn Road reservoir for the Balmoral-Tuapeka Rural Water Scheme.

The water treatment plant was recently switched on with the help of Clutha District Council Clinton-Clydevale Councillor Simon McAtamney and Mayor Jock Martin.

The new plant is currently pumping water to lower and upper Greenfield pump stations and is supplying those that were on the Balmoral 1, Tuapeka East and West rural water schemes.

Even though there is new water to some of the schemes, Council advises that long term boil water notices remain in place for Waitahuna township and the Balmoral 1 and 2, Tuapeka East and West schemes until Council is assured through test results that the water meets the drinking water standards.

The next phase is to connect Balmoral 2 customers to the new scheme and turn the Waitahuna water treatment plant off. This is hoped to be achieved by the end of 2025.

To achieve full compliance the new scheme needs to be fully operational and more flushing is required to remove the old water sitting in consumers’ tanks.

The final stages will see the connection of Lawrence to the new water supply, once Council is assured that the water is fully compliant with drinking water standards.

Council is aware that there are some customers not connected and is working on a solution.

Council’s Operations team has been out bleeding and testing tanks around the scheme in support of the commissioning.

This project secures the future water supply for a significant portion of the Clutha District.

The commissioning of the scheme has been actioned in a staged approach, which includes the Greenfield Borefield and the water treatment plant.

The new scheme will lead to the decommissioning of three water treatment plants, Evans Flat, Lawrence and also the Waitahuna water treatment plant where some E.coli results have been recorded.

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Commissioning to commence for new Balmoral/Tuapeka rural water scheme

1 July 2025

Commissioning of 41.5km of trunk mains, new bores, treatment plant and pump stations to combine 5 previous schemes to form the Balmoral/Tuapeka Rural Water Scheme is expected to commence in July and is due to be completed within the next two months. This $25 million project is to secure the future water supply for a significant portion of the Clutha District.

Following this, a thorough testing process including flushing of the reservoirs and pipes will need to occur, to meet drinking water compliance for the areas that are currently on boil water notices including Balmoral 1 and 2, Tuapeka West and East schemes and the Waitahuna Township. Due to the size and complexity of this project, commissioning of the scheme will occur in phases. Commissioning will begin at the bore field and water treatment plant and will progress through the scheme over the following two months.

The final stages will see the connection of Lawrence to the new water supply, once Council is assured that the water is fully compliant with drinking water standards. Council expects this final stage to be completed before December 2025.

The new scheme will lead to the decommissioning of three water treatment plants, Evan’s Flat, Lawrence and also the Waitahuna water treatment plant where some E. coli results have been recorded. The new scheme will satisfy Taumata Arowai’s requirement, issued to 27 council suppliers across NZ following the cryptosporidium outbreak in Queenstown in September 2023, to provide protozoal barrier treatment at all water treatment plants.

Clutha District Council Deputy Chief Executive Jules Witt says that the new water scheme, once commissioned, will improve security of supply and improved water quality.

“Rural consumers previously receiving Council water in these areas will soon receive their water from the new Balmoral-Tuapeka supply.”

“Many of these water schemes have been on long-term boil water notices since 2022 when the new drinking water standards came into effect. Once compliance is met under the drinking water standards, the boil water notices will be lifted.”

“By leaving Lawrence as the final stage of connection, we are ensuring that there is absolutely no contamination in the line that could affect Lawrence’s current status of drinking water compliance. Lawrence is not on a boil water notice, and it is important that this does not change.”

Council strongly urges rural consumers to have their water tanks flushed, serviced, and cleaned once they are advised that the new supply is up and running. By doing so, you will be helping to ensure that your property receives clean, safe water that is clear of any residual contaminants.

There may be up to three months of testing before we can confirm that the water supply consistently meets all the requirements for the Boil Water Notices to be lifted.

Council will provide regular updates on its website as progress continues.