Today, the first of the Year 4 classes visited the Upper Nihotupu Dam in the Waitakere Ranges. It was a fabulous day out and a wonderful learning experience for our Piwakawaka children.
The dam was completed in 1923 and has a capacity of 2.2 gigalitres (which is approximately 1000 Olympic sized pools).
The dam was completed in 1923 and has a capacity of 2.2 gigalitres (which is approximately 1000 Olympic sized pools).
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| Children from Rm 18 and 19 were amazed by the size of the dam. |
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| Following the pipes which take the water from the reservoir to the treatment plant |
The rain that falls in the Waitakere's flows downhill, pools in the reservoir and then continues it's journey...
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| Watching the water released over the spillway pouring down the impressive dam. |
Each day, Watercare supplies quality drinking water to around 1.3 million Aucklanders. 26 percent of Auckland's water is collected in one of six dams located high in the Waitakere Ranges. The construction of these amazing dams were such an incredibly forward thinking project for our city’s early town planners and engineers.
The Waitaks receive around 2000mm of rain annually, which is about 50 percent more than central Auckland. The elevated location mean water collected in the dams can flow to the city by gravity.
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| Climbing the 156 steps to the top of the dam |
The Waitakere dams were constructed between 1907 and 1971 and are named after the stream that feeds into each reservoir. Raw water from these dams is piped to treatment plants in Huia, Titirangi and Swanson where it undergoes a series of treatment stages to ensure it meets the requirements of the Drinking Water Standards for New Zealand.
And that is part of the story of the water that you enjoy from your taps each day.
So have a chat to a Year 4 student, and learn more about the interesting story of Auckland’s water.
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| Following the tracks which were originally built as part of the supply line for the dam building. |
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