Waiaroha: precast as a design component

The Havelock North water crisis of 2016 showed just how vulnerable our water supply can be. 

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A new facility in Hastings is part of a broader investment into improving the quality, reliability, capacity and resilience of the Hastings drinking water network.

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Waiaroha is an urban water storage and treatment facility, comprising two five million litre storage tanks, a well as an educational centre which will provide an indoor / outdoor classroom for schools and community groups. Site preparation works began in April 2021, with the entire facility due for completion this year.

However, building two 5,000 cubic metre water tanks in an urban environment requires some serious thought. Much of it around the mitigation of the visual impact of the large reservoir storage tanks. This has been achieved by the thoughtful use of existing trees, to create a relaxing green space within the city that everyone can enjoy. As part of the. beautification, Lattey Group were asked to produce precast panels for the walkways through the facility.

This was a project which required a high level of visual design, and Lattey Group precast was part of this process. The panels were cast at our Hastings plant. We used our CNC machine to make the precast mould for the decorative design by Ngati Kahungunu HDC cultural design lead Charlie Ropitini.

Learn more about our precast capability here.