Work recommended to reduce water tower risk
Work on Cambridge’s historic brick water tower may be fast-tracked to better mitigate any risk posed by nearby building works.
The 19 metre-high Cambridge water tower on the greenbelt near the Resthaven retirement village is owned by Waipā District Council. The registered Category Two heritage building was built in 1902 using horses raising the bricks by pulley. Water was pumped to the tank on top of the tower, supplying Cambridge with water until it was decommissioned in 1926. It is one of only two such structures in the country.
An earthquake assessment in 2014 said the tower met 25 per cent of national building standards (NBS). Council is aiming to bring it up to a minimum of 67 per cent NBS by 2026.
But building work at the nearby Resthaven retirement village, which could cause some ground movement, has seen staff recommend Council fast-track some mitigation work. Specifically staff want to dismantle and remove the cast iron tank on top of the tower as well as a corroded steel walkway and ladder. Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga support the work, likely to cost around $375,000.
Council’s deputy chief executive Ken Morris said Council was taking a “belts and braces approach”. Resource consent for the new building work at Resthaven already required monitoring of the tower and nothing “untoward” had been noted, he said.
“Nonetheless, we’re recommending this work be brought forward. It would need to be done anyway as part of broader mitigation work required for earthquake strengthening and we believe it’s prudent and safest to do it now. Doing so removes any potential immediate risk to people using the greenbelt and also mitigates risk to the structure itself.”
Morris said removing the water tank and curved walkway and ladder was likely to be the first stage in a much wider strengthening project to bring the tower up to a recommended earthquake standard.
“A budget to bring the tower up to the required standard, within the required timeframe, would likely be considered for inclusion in the Council’s 2024-34 Long-Term Plan. Initial estimates to refurbish the tower suggest costs could be in the vicinity of around $1.7 million but that’s only an early estimate,” Morris said.
“Nor has that budget been approved or even formally discussed. And of course, the Council would be required to consult the public on this project as part of its Long-Term Plan discussions.”
Morris said demolishing the historic water tower was not an option.
“We simply wouldn’t be allowed to do that by Heritage New Zealand given its status. And relocating it, would be hideously expensive. At this stage, the best long-term option is to strengthen the tower. But in the meantime, there’s some practical and reasonable things we can - and should - get on with.”
Council will be formally asked to consider a staff recommendation next month. Council, like any other organisation, would also need a resource consent before any work could be undertaken, Morris said.
