A message to the Coromandel community - Town drinking water is safe

Concerns that there are extreme levels of arsenic in the town's drinking water are unfounded and there is no risk to the health and safety of residents.

In the past few weeks we've been testing town supply raw water intake for metals, including arsenic, after some stream dredged material was deposited at an authorised clean fill site on The 309 Road. The material deposit area is a safe distance from the Waiau stream and well contained within clay bunds with negligible risk of escape.

• Water results for the first two days of metals sampling came back all lower than the Maximum Accepted Values (MAVs), which are the levels used to determine drinking water safety.
• Our water contractors are also doing weekly arsenic testing until further notice in response to the concerns.

We have been working closely with the Waikato Regional Council and provided all information to the Medical Officer of Health to allay any concerns.

The Medical Officer of Health, Dr Richard Wall, has advised, “there is no current health risk associated with the levels of arsenic in the Waiau Stream based on recent testing results”.

There is no cause for alarm for residents of Coromandel Town and has never been any risk to the drinking water supply and public health.

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