"Enhanced water storage has been identified as part of this in order to make the council network's drinking water supply safer, more resilient, and reduce the reliance on continuously extracting drinking water from the aquifer."
They added that council went through a "comprehensive site selection process" before presenting two site options to councillors for approval – one at Frimley Park and one at Eastbourne on the corner of Southampton St East and Hastings St South.
"In determining the locations, considerations included finding somewhere as close as possible to existing water sources, somewhere the new infrastructure could connect easily to the main arterial water supply pipe network, the potential use of existing infrastructure and having enough space for new infrastructure.
The preferred site at Frimley is at the southern end of Frimley Park, next to Hastings Girls' High School, near existing water sources and infrastructure.
Council believes this area of the park is discrete – set among established trees that would reduce the visual impact of the works for nearby residents and street traffic.
To free up more space for the public, council is actively working towards moving the maintenance sheds out of the park to return that space to parkland.
After the public information session, resource consent for this work will be submitted in late November 2019.
Through this formal process, "people will be able to have their say", and it's expected this application will be notified for feedback in mid-January next year.
From that time people will have 20 working days to make a submission.
The informal community session is being held at the Frimley Park playground on Saturday, October 19 from 9am to noon.
In the event of wet weather, it will be postponed until Wednesday, October 23, 5pm to 7pm at Frimley Park playground. Any updates will be posted on the Hastings District Council Facebook page.
