Waitahuna, Balmoral, Tuapeka East – water notice & advisory
Water Notices
Two issues continue to affect the water supply for Waitahuna and the Tuapeka East, Balmoral 1 and Balmoral 2 Rural Water Schemes.
A boil water notice is in place due to an issue at the water treatment plant and separately there is an advisory after aluminium was detected in the water.
About the boil water notice
This relates to issues with treated water quality. New treatment equipment has been ordered for installation. This notice will be in place until further notice and we will advise when it is lifted.
Anyone using water from their tap for consumption (including teeth cleaning and food preparation such as washing fruit and vegetables) should boil it for 1 minute before it is used.
About the aluminium advisory
An aluminium advisory remains in place after water sampling from an accredited lab found aluminium levels exceeding the new drinking water standard of 1mg/L.
Since 7 March there has been intensive sampling, from the water treatment plant, households and the pipe network.
You can read the exceedances online at www.cluthadc.govt.nz/advisory.
Changes have been made to how water is processed through the plant. This water treatment plant is scheduled to be decommissioned and water will instead come from the new Greenfield Bore Supply.
Work on this is underway and the new scheme is expected to be operational in approximately 18 months.
Sampling is ongoing and we are continuing to take direction from the water services regulator, Taumata Arowai.
The health advice is that the risk of consuming water from the affected supplies is negligible; no health effects would be expected at these levels of aluminium exposure, even if water was consumed over a period of weeks to months. This includes effects for people with kidney disease, infants, and children.
Drinking water does not need to be boiled due to aluminium but should be boiled until the separate boil water notice is lifted.
Please share this information with affected friends and neighbours.
If you’re in Balclutha, you can fill up your clean containers with water at the public tap next to the helipad and if you're in Lawrence, there's a tap behind the library.
We apologise for the inconvenience these issues may cause.
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