Harpers Hill upgrade lifts water storage for growing Hunter communities

newy.com.au – Hunter Water has completed upgrades to the Harpers Hill Reservoir and a new pipeline, boosting water storage capacity for communities around Lochinvar, Greta, Branxton and North Rothbury.

The former steel reservoir, built in the 1950s and able to hold 0.9 megalitres, has been replaced by a 7 megalitre concrete structure. The project also delivered a 2.5-kilometre line linking the Lochinvar pump station with the site so the larger reservoir can be filled when demand surges.

Hunter Water executive manager infrastructure delivery Justin Watts said the work was intended to make the network more reliable and help it cope with growth over the next 15 to 20 years. Work began in mid-2024, was completed in February and the old reservoir has been decommissioned.

Hunter Water said the Harpers Hill project, alongside North Rothbury Reservoir, will support supply for as many as 3000 homes and businesses in the Lower Hunter as part of a wider program of network upgrades.