Media Release

13 March 2007

Water Warning Lifted

Waikato Medical Officer of Health Dr Dell Hood has this afternoon lifted a health warning on Te Kuiti’s water but says the ban could be reinstated if ground at the local meat works became unstable.

Dr Hood said tests showed today the water was now safe to drink. However the river down stream from the spill was still not suitable for recreational use, said Dr Hood.

However there are concerns that while heavy rain forecast for the King Country town would dilute the contamination, it could also potentially cause further destabilisation of the ground at the meat works. Untreated waste seeped out of a holding pond on Saturday into the Mangaokewa Stream which supplies Te Kuiti’s water supply.

Te Kuiti residents have been boiling their drinking water since then under advice from the Waikato District Health Board.

ENDS