Outram residents should see improvements in water flow during peak times within a year, with two upgrades due to be completed.
Dunedin City Council will start upgrading Outram's main water distribution pipeline and ring main pipe in 2014-15.
A group of Outram residents attended last week's Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board meeting to raise concerns about the township's water supply and distribution.
Council acting asset and commercial manager Tom Osborn said the group's complaints reflected others the council had been receiving for a long time about Outram's water.
The pipeline upgrades had been scheduled, and money was set aside in budgets, for the first stages to be done before July next year. The size of the main distribution pipe would be increased in a $250,000 upgrade and the first half of the ring main would also be upgraded at a cost of $300,000.
''There should be significant improvements in the flow [as a result] during peak periods next year,'' Mr Osborn said.
The upgrades would be to a standard that would also service a new 28-lot subdivision recently approved by the council for the township.
The council had come to an arrangement whereby the developer would contribute a portion of the cost of the upgrade relevant to the development.
Mr Osborn was at the meeting to update the board on the upgrade of Outram's water treatment plant, which could be delayed for two years while the council worked through land ownership issues, he said.
The plant needs to be upgraded to meet new drinking water standards.
But the new standards were only technically different from the old ones. The water quality had not changed and was safe to drink in the meantime. A drinking water assessor had approved the upgrade's delay.
Mr Osborn said the council preferred to build the new building on one parcel of land, to ensure the upgrade would be for the long term.
At present, the plant sat on four pieces of land owned by three owners - the council, the Crown and a private owner.
It could take up to two years to get the landowner approvals for the land needed for the desired plant layout, but the council hoped it could be done within six to 18 months.
It was expected problems with the sometimes strong smell of chlorine in Outram water would also be resolved as part of the water treatment plant upgrade.
Residents could be reassured there was enough water coming through Outram's treatment plant each day to cope with any future development in the township.
