Coromandel drinking water safe to the public

Drinking water sources across the Coromandel are safe to the public and we operate and monitor under the guidelines of the Drinking Water Standards.

“Following the gastro outbreak in Hawke's Bay, we want to reassure our residents and ratepayers of the safety of our drinking water supplies,” says our Water Services Manager Ian Smith.

Water quality has been in the spotlight in the Hawke’s Bay after about 4100 were struck down with a gastro illness caused by campylobacter from a contaminated Havelock North water supply

“Over the past 12 months we’ve had four very low-level E-coli samples, but this has never presented the same risk as the Hastings network, as our potable (drinking) water supplies all receive either chlorine or UV treatment for disinfection,” says Mr Smith.

The four samples where low levels of E. coli were detected were at Pauanui, Hahei and twice at Onemana. The supplies were resampled as soon as possible and in all cases the results were clear for three successive days, as required by the Standards, and have tested negative for E.coli since.

Under the Drinking Water Standards, our Council works with the Drinking Water Assessor from the Waikato District Health Board to test and monitor our potable water supplies.

“We’re also required by the Ministry of Health to measure and report to the Waikato District Health Board on our water sampling and testing from the treatment plants, reservoirs and from within the water supply networks,” says Mr Smith.

The frequency of testing for E. coli in our water supplies ranges from fortnightly to daily, depending on the population served.

Testing frequencies are defined in the Drinking Water Standards. 1,424 samples were tested for E. coli across the District last year.

Our water supplies

On the Coromandel we have nine urban and two rural water supply schemes,

Urban Schemes:

1. Thames

2. Coromandel

3. MatarangI

4. Whitianga

5. Hahei

6. Tairua

7. Pauanui

8. Onemana

9. Whangamata

Rural Schemes:

1. Thames Valley

2. Matatoki

The treatment of our drinking water varies according to the water source and treatment facility in each community. This ranges from very limited treatment at Matatoki and Thames Valley to a more sophisticated mixture of chemical dosing, pressure sand filters, UV disinfection and chlorination at other treatment plants.

In many cases the water is then stored in reservoirs before being supplied via the reticulation network to the consumers.

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