The Sluice Pipes Beneath the Old Wainuiomata Dam
Beneath the old dam in Wainuiomata and next to Sinclair Tunnel, lie three twenty four inch sluice pipes that were installed during the major reconstruction works. These pipes were added after a catastrophic dam wall failure between 1883 to 1884 to provide essential flood relief and to prevent similar damage in future.
The reconstruction, overseen by Wellington City Surveyor B. Loughrey, involved a series of improvements designed to strengthen the safety and reliability of the water supply system. The contractor, Mr J. Saunders, was responsible for constructing the three sluice pipes as part of the engineering upgrades undertaken after the failure. Their installation made it possible to release water in a controlled manner during heavy rain, reducing pressure on the rebuilt structure and helping to prevent another similar event.
We know that by March 1887 the three sluice pipes were already completed and functioning as an important part of the redesigned works, although they may have been finished months or even years earlier. These pipes helped protect the dam by allowing controlled release of water during high flows.
The story also carries a human element. Mr Saunders, the contractor who built the pipes, sadly died by suicide on 28 May 1906.
