The Mw 7.1 earthquake that struck 40 km west of Christchurch on 4 September 2010 provided a good test of the robustness of the water storage and distribution system of one of our major cities to provide a secure supply of water. In this paper we present damage data from inspections of 54 reservoirs that were undertaken on behalf of Christchurch City Council and other owners. These included concrete, steel and timber tanks, five of which collapsed and four severely damaged.