Council considers options for Havelock water issue

Marlborough District Council is considering temporary ultraviolet treatment systems for Havelock’s contaminated water.

If successful it would mean the boil water advisory – issued for the town supply last week following a directive from the Water Services Authority Taumata Arowai – could be lifted in a matter of weeks or months, rather than waiting for the new treatment plant to be built and opened in 2028.

“We are working through a number of options and council engineers want to determine whether we have a workable solution by the end of this week,” says General Manager of Infrastructure and Services Richard Coningham.

He says the council was in discussion with a number of parties, including local businesses. “In the meantime, I suggest residents and businesses in Havelock hold off and do not invest in their own UV treatment system until the council has assessed these options. They should also continue to boil their water for now.”

He said an update will be provided no later than Friday, 25 July.

Last week households and businesses connected to the Havelock water supply were told they would be required to boil or treat tap water before drinking for the next three years. The boil notice from the Water Services Authority/Taumata Arowai was announced due to the risk of protozoa – single-celled parasites like cryptosporidium and giardia – getting into the water source with no filtration or UV processing for them currently available.

And while a new $14 million water treatment plant has been planned for affected residents, the advisory was released in response to the updated requirements in the Water Services Act 2021.

“The risk of protozoa contamination in Havelock has not changed, it’s just that New Zealand’s requirements on the provision of drinking water are becoming more stringent,” says Richard.

“Water supplies in New Zealand require a multi-barrier approach – a range of processes, procedures and tools to protect and treat water.”

Residents were asked to boil water for drinking, brushing teeth, making ice, juices or baby formula, when filling pet water bowls and when washing food before preparation, as no clean water tankers will be provided at this stage.

Protozoa mainly cause gastrointestinal issues, including diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, bloating, nausea and gas.