An ultraviolet (UV) water treatment plant is being installed in Havelock this week.

A container containing the temporary plant was offloaded by contractors on to a new raised platform on Monday. The platform is sited next to the existing Havelock chlorine water treatment facility.

Planning and Development Engineering Manager Mark Power said things were going well.

“This week we will connect the mechanical piping and electrical componentry. Marlborough Lines has successfully upgraded the power supply to the site.

“Full plant commissioning will get underway next week - we’ll check all the mechanical and electrical instrumentation, including the alarms and shutdown procedures.”

He said the boil water notice would remain in place until engineers were satisfied the commissioning had been successful, at which point Council would advise the Water Services Authority/Taumata Arowai that the town’s water supply now has the required multibarrier protection.

Council staff are submitting a new water safety plan for Havelock to the authority at the same time. Once the green light was given by them, the boil water notice could be lifted.

“We are hopeful this will be in the near future - we are not in a position to put a specific date on it yet,” Mr Power said. “There are some variables at play.”

Costs for the temporary plant are expected to be in the range of $750K, some of which is recoverable through the reuse of equipment for the permanent plant, planned to be opened in 2028.

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