New reservoir connection prompts temporary shutdown

Work to connect Bluff’s new Shannon Street Reservoir to the town’s water main means that the pipeline carrying water to the existing Hill Reservoir will be turned off from midnight Friday to 6am Saturday 21 July.

Invercargill City Council Water Manager Alister Murray said that the shutdown was part of Bluff’s water reticulation upgrade that involved provision of a second reservoir to Bluff.  The Shannon Street Reservoir would provide the town with extra capacity, in addition to the existing Bluff Hill Reservoir.

Mr Murray said that Council was asking Bluff residents and businesses not to use water during the period of the shutdown in order to conserve the water level in the Hill Reservoir.

“A trial run was performed on Saturday 14 July in consultation with large businesses, industrial users and everything went according to plan.”

Mr Murray said he expected that all would be fine during the shutdown but that it was important to ensure that the Bluff Hill Reservoir storage holds up over the period of no inflow – and this could be achieved by the cooperation of Bluff businesses and residents.