Tauranga has two water treatment plants, one at Joyce Road and the other at Oropi. Both treatment plants have obtained an A grade from the ministry of Health.
The Oropi Treatment Plant has now been upgraded using the same microfiltration technology as the Joyce Road Plant. This provides an even greater increase in treatment standards than happened when the original plant was opened in 1957. For the 47 years before 1957 water had be taken from a weir on the Waiorohi Stream, chlorinated, and then gravity-fed down to the town.
Rebuilding the treatment plant at the same site enabled the intake and other structures to be retained. The Oropi Plant can produce up to 33,000 cubic metres a day. Daily production varies with demand and the balance of output between the Oropi and Joyce Road treatment plants. (Information from the Tauranga City Council website)
Note ... The easiest walking is on the 'road' - approx 20 minutes return. This area is also a Mountain Biking park, so keep an eye out for approaching riders. The cache is a 1.0 litre sistema. First to find honours went to: Rick-a-mortis / TgaWookie.