VERY WELL: Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule (L) splashes down with Deputy Prime Minister Bill English, NZ Miracle Water CEO Xinghong Ju, Tukituki MP Craig Foss and production manager Gavin Adams at the opening of New Zealand Miracle Water's $20 million water bottling plant.PHOTO/DUNCAN BROWN

A $20 million water bottling plant near Hastings, which was officially opened yesterday, will export water extracted from a 300m aquifer to Asia and the Middle East, as well as employing 26 people.

This number will climb to 80 people as production increases to the Elwood Rd business' consented 900,000 cubic metres of water - 0.6 per cent of water allocated by the Hawke's Bay Regional Council.

At full production New Zealand Miracle Water joint venture with logistics company Tomoana Warehousing will make 90 truck deliveries a day of branded HBay Water to Napier Port.

Initially 7 litre pouches are being produced for overseas water machines but NZ Miracle Water CEO Xinghong Ju plans to use it with infant formula.

With a ceramic aggregate/shipping business in Qingdao he also supplied infant formula until the Chinese government limited the number of suppliers.

The father of three, with one on the way, said it was always his vision to combine both New Zealand products.

Hawke's Bay water was chosen because it was pure, had low mineral content and tasted good.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Bill English unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion yesterday.

He said it was good to see a tangible example of the close relationship between China and New Zealand.

"This investment and the understanding of what New Zealand can offer is one of the by-products of the free-trade agreement with China and the positive political relationship that has gone with that," he said.

"In the last few weeks we have seen the signing of the TPP and in 10 or 15 years' time, when the real value of that is fully understood, we will be back in Hawke's Bay acknowledging investment from different markets " Mexico, Canada, Peru and the United States.

"What goes with this kind of investment is our ability to sell our products into vast, growing wealthy markets.