To ensure all residents using town water supplies are completely safe, the chief executive of Hastings District Council has instructed that all Council-owned water supplies in the district be chlorinated for the foreseeable future.

The supply to Havelock North and the supply that feeds Hastings, Flaxmere and Bridge Pa are already being chlorinated.

From tomorrow, chlorination will be introduced to Council-owned supplies to Haumonana-Te Awanga and Parkhill. A process to introduce treatment for the other supplies will be put in place after that.

Some water supplies are already ultra-violet treatment and Waipatiki is already chlorinated.

The expanded chlorination follows a positive indicator test today (August 23) in the private bore servicing the Haumoana School. While this is not connected to the municipal supply, the bores are within the same catchment area.

Chief executive Ross McLeod said today that currently there is a heightened concern regarding water quality.

“We are taking a precautionary approach, chlorinating the water so people can be confident the water is safe to drink.

“We know that some people do not like the taste or smell, but at this time we believe that treating the water is the most responsible thing to do.”

The chlorination process will start tomorrow (August 24) and will be progressively noticeable in supplies over the next few days.

Council is also considering what help it can offer Haumoana School, to enable it to reopen.

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