Health officials are reminding business owners planning to reopen during Alert Level 3 to flush old water from their pipes prior to reopening to ensure drinking water is fresh.

Hawke’s Bay District Health Board drinking water assessor, Reynold Ball, said when water is not regularly flushed through pipes, it can become stagnant and this is likely to have occurred during the nation’s five-week Level 4 lockdown period.

“Water left in pipes can change in quality and become smelly or discoloured, so it’s important to replace old water with fresh water, particularly if you are cooking or making beverages, or have staff on site drinking the water,” said Mr Ball.

“We recommend business owners turn on all taps and flush toilets until the water is clear.”

A full list of suggestions, including for larger premises, can be found on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website at www.business.govt.nz.

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