From here, the Leith flows south, skirting a water supply reservoir formed behind Sullivan's Dam, which was constructed in 1916.

A gravel road parallels the course of this stretch of the river, becoming asphalted close to the point where the Leith meets the urban parts of the city at Glenleith.

[1] The original course of the Leith was, in fact, a meandering track through what is now the central city, emptying into the upper harbour where Cumberland and Stuart Streets now meet.

From here, it winds around the northern edge of the floodplain, skirting the Dunedin Botanic Gardens, where it is joined by its other main tributary, Lindsay Creek.

This small stream flows from the southern slopes of Mount Cargill, through Bethune's Gully and along North East Valley before crossing the Botanic Gardens and connecting with the Leith.

In 2018 a new cable stay footbridge was erected over the mouth of the Water of Leith (between the state highway bridge and the harbour).

In the early 20th Century, the watercourse was referred to as the "Leith Canal" in legislation (such as the Otago Harbour Board Empowering Act 1939) and in newspapers; this name is now rarely used.