Ross Creek Reservoir

Built in 1867, Ross Creek is one of New Zealand’s first major urban water supplies, and one that still serves Dunedin city today.

A water supply for Dunedin

Clean drinking water was in short supply for early residents of Dunedin. With the Otago goldrush of the 1860s, Dunedin’s population soared, putting even more pressure on already stretched resources. The development of a new water supply was imperative. But the question of who should fund its construction was unclear.

The Otago Provincial Council was in favour of private investment, but the preference of the Dunedin Town Board was to keep vital public utilities, such as water supply, in public ownership.

The Provincial Council prevailed and in 1863 the Dunedin Water Works Company formed. Their operation was supported by the Dunedin Water Works Act 1864. The Act authorised the company to develop and maintain the water supply for the town and also to levy their own water rates.

Ross Creek Reservoir c1920. Dunedin City Council Archives Photo 330/70, Street Works - Lantern Slide Collection

Construction and opening

The Dunedin Water Works Company engaged engineer Ralph Donkin to draw up plans for the water supply. Donkin favoured Ross Creek and submitted his plan in January 1864. David Proudfoot and Company won the tender and began work in September 1865.

The scheme was opened by the Mayor of Dunedin in December 1867.

Local council takes over

The Dunedin Town Board, now a City Council, was uncomfortable with the ability of the Dunedin Water Works Company to set its own water rates. The Council made offers to buy the Company in 1868 and 1872, but the Company held firm. Dunedin was expanding and the Ross Creek scheme was not able to supply households in the new upper hillside suburbs. In 1874 the City Council succeeded in buying the Company and took responsibility for further developing the scheme.

2009. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ross_Creek_Reservoir.jpg

The Ross Creek reservoir holds over 200,000 cubic metres of water. It is constructed in two parts - a main reservoir and an upper pond area. The dams for both sections are made of local clay and stone and have a puddled clay core. The dams are approximately 23m and 10m in height respectively. There are bypass channels on both sides of the dam.

A handsome stone valve tower sits at the end of a small jetty just inside the main reservoir.

The reservoir today

Dunedin now gets most of its water from the Deep Creek and Deep Stream reservoirs and for about twenty years the Ross Creek reservoir sat unused.

After cracks were discovered in the Ross Creek dam in 2010, the Dunedin City Council decided to embark on a programme of upgrade work that would allow the Ross Creek Reservoir to function as an important back-up for the city should an earthquake or other natural disaster impact the Deep Creek and Deep Stream supply.

Work on the project began in October 2016 and construction started February 2017. The work was undertaken by Downer New Zealand Ltd and overseen by Opus International Consultants Ltd. and the Dunedin City Council.

The base of the dam was strengthened, and the dam face rebuilt. The bank now extends further than the original, giving greater stability and allowing more water to be held in the dam.

The dam was officially reopened in October 2019.

The project received the Institute of Public Works Engineering NZ (IPWEA NZ) "Excellence in Maximising Asset Performance” award for 2019.

An artwork by Dunedin artists Katrina Thompson and Ross Sinclair was installed on the face of the dam in 2020/2021. The work features dozens of powder-coated steel stars depicting the southern night sky.

More Information

Heritage recognition

The Ross Creek reservoir was recognised with a plaque as part of Engineering New Zealand's 'Engineering to 1990' project.

The Ross Creek Earth Dam has been recognised by Heritage New Zealand as a Category 1 historic place (List no.4922): www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/4922

The Ross Creek Valve Tower has been recognised by Heritage New Zealand as a Category 1 historic place (List no.4722): www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/4722