| Waitaki Dam | |
|---|---|
 Waitaki Hydro Station | |
.png)  Waitaki Hydro Station | |
| Location | Canterbury Region, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 44°41′25″S 170°25′35″E / 44.69028°S 170.42639°E |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1928 |
| Opening date | 27 October 1934 |
| Construction cost | $9,540,000 (in 1961) |
| Built by | Public Works Department |
| Designed by | Public Works Department (with input from Per Hörnell) |
| Owner(s) | Meridian Energy |
| Operator(s) | Meridian Energy |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity dam |
| Impounds | Waitaki River |
| Height (foundation) | 48 m (157 ft) |
| Height (thalweg) | 33 m (108 ft) |
| Length | 542 m (1,778 ft) |
| Width (base) | 44.2 m (145 ft)[1] |
| Dam volume | 214,075 m3 (7,560,000 cu ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Waitaki |
| Pump-generators | 7 × 15 MW |
| Installed capacity | 105 MW |
| Annual generation | 500 GW·h |
The Waitaki Dam is one of eight hydroelectric power stations which form the Waitaki hydroelectric scheme on the Waitaki River in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand. The dam was the first of three to be built on the Waitaki River and was constructed without earthmoving machinery; over half a million cubic metres of material was excavated, almost entirely by pick-and-shovel.[2] The Waitaki Dam's construction was followed by the development of Aviemore Dam and Benmore Dam, and importantly, every dam built in New Zealand since the Waitaki has benefited from lessons learned during its construction.[3]
The Waitaki Dam is unique; its construction lead to the germination of one of the world's first social welfare systems. Built during the Great Depression, the Waitaki Dam attempted to soak up unemployment as part of the Government's make work scheme and saw the trial of medical welfare where an individual could build a satisfactory life without fear of the inability to cope with age or poverty.[3]: 46
Initial construction of the dam began in 1928 and was completed in 1934 with full power being delivered from two 15 MW generators on 1 January 1935. Three additional generators were added between 1940 and 1949 and a further two generators were added between 1952 and 1954. With seven generators each delivering 15 MW, the total generative output of the Waitaki Dam is 105 MW.[2][4]
- ^ "The Waitaki Hydro-Electric Installation, New Zealand". Nature. 134: 876. 1934. doi:10.1038/134876a0.
- ^ a b "Waitaki Hydro Station". Meridian Energy. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ a b Natusch, G. G. (1984). Waitaki Dammed. And the Origins of Social Security. Dunedin, NZ: Otago Heritage Books. p. 64. ISBN 0959772308.
- ^ Waitaki Power. Wellington, NZ: Ministry of Works. 1972. Retrieved 24 November 2023 – via Internet Archive.