Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has confirmed the boil water notice for remaining parts of Queenstown can now be lifted.

Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Glyn Lewers said the news follows confirmation by Taumata Arowai that the requirements of the compliance order issued following a local outbreak of illness caused by cryptosporidium have been met.

“I’m delighted to say that the huge effort by Council officers and contractors since the compliance order was put in place on 20 September means everyone is able to return to using water straight from the tap for the weekend,” he said.

“Our infrastructure team has installed new UV reactors at Two Mile water treatment plant and these are now fully operational. All of the live network reservoirs have been inspected and cleaned, and the local network has been flushed.”

“Taumata Arowai has confirmed our records and actions meet its expectations and provide the necessary confidence that the requirements of the compliance order have been met in full.”

“I’d like to repeat my thanks to all residents, visitors and businesses in the affected areas for their patience and co-operation during what has been a trying time for all. I’d also like to extend my gratitude to the contractors involved in delivering this huge undertaking in an extremely compressed timeframe. The efforts of Apex, Fulton Hogan, Veolia, Pumptech, TEAM Projects, Iain Rabbits, Watershed and JTECH Solutions deserve special mention, but there are many more that helped to get us to this point,” said Mayor Lewers.

Furthermore, Council acknowledges the ongoing collaboration and input from Taumata Arowai and Te Whatu Ora over what has been a challenging time for all.

Council will provide an update on its work to install UV treatment to remaining plants around the district, along with the permanent solution for Two Mile, once the current boil water notice has been lifted. It has been designing systems for other plants in parallel in order to achieve full compliance across the district as quickly as possible.

A public health investigation led by Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand concluded on 6 October that human faecal contamination of the water supply as the most likely source.

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