Kawerau Community Update

Wednesday, 15 January 2020

Thank You

It has not been an easy way to start 2020.

On behalf of the Council, I would like to sincerely thank you all for your patience and resilience during the Boil Water Notice period.

I would also like to thank you for your vigilance with the Boil Water Notice to keep your families, friends and neighbours safe during this time.

Thanks also to our Council staff and contractors for their extra work and efforts.

We have completed reviews and audits of all aspects of the water treatment, sampling and supply systems. This has confirmed that the water is safe and our treatment, sampling and testing systems are robust.

We are now looking forward to getting stuck in to the water infrastructure improvement projects as we had planned. - Mayor Malcolm Campbell

- Mayor Malcolm Campbell

Water Issue Summary 

The Kawerau District Council thanks all the residents for their patience and resilience during the period the Boil Water Notice placed on the district on Saturday, 4 January 2020 until the evening of Tuesday, 7 January 2020.

The Council acknowledges this was a difficult time for residents and thanks people for their vigilance with the Boil Water Notice to keep their families, friends and whanau safe during this time.

Council staff in conjunction with the Drinking Water Assessors and the Bay of Plenty District Health Board have investigated the event and have ruled out the most obvious causes of the contamination.

The investigations have included:

• Checking the water intake and surroundings;
• Checking the treatment plant and its performance;
• Reviewing all reservoirs and networks around sample points; and
• Reviewing the location of the sample points and sampling procedures.

The Council also sought further help from the 50-plus residential properties in the Upper Valley area where the contaminated sample was taken. Some feedback has been received, but nothing to indicate it would have been the cause.

The Council reported to the Bay of Plenty District Health Board that there are three possible reasons for the single contaminated sample, which are: laboratory contamination; a sampling error; or a breach due to back-flow contamination from a residential property.

The remedial actions that the Council and the Bay of Plenty District Health Board have agreed upon include increasing the target of Free Available Chlorine Equivalent (FACE) from 0.35mg/l to a new limit of 0.5mg/l in order to allow for changes in pH and flow rate variations.

Further daily water samples were taken and tested for E.Coli and coliforms from the Upper Valley sampling point until Friday, 10 January 2020. Another random sampling point within the Kawerau water system was also taken and tested daily.

All additional and routine water samples have returned clear of contamination. 

Timeline

• 2 January 2020:  Routine sampling from Kawerau water supply points, including at Upper Valley Road completed.
• 4 January 2020: Results back from independent laboratory show a positive E.Coli result for the Upper Valley Road sampling point. The other water samples tested are clear of any contamination.
• 4 January 2020: Boil Water Notice placed on the entire Kawerau district water supply by the Bay of Plenty District Health Board.
• 5 January 2020: The water sample taken on Saturday, 4 January 2020 from the Upper Valley Road sampling point returns clear of contamination.
• 6 January 2020: A second water sample taken on Sunday, 5 January 2020 from the Upper Valley Road sampling point returns clear of contamination. A water tanker with safe drinking water provides residents with 2,000 litres on Monday evening.
• 7 January 2020: A third water sample taken on Monday, 6 January 2020 from the Upper Valley Road sampling point returns clear of contamination.

At 4.45pm, the Boil Water Notice is lifted from the Kawerau District water supply by the Bay of Plenty District Health Board who confirm the water supply is safe.

The water tanker remains available for residents from 8.30am until 7.00pm.

The Council increases the target of Free Available Chlorine Equivalent (FACE) from 0.35mg/l to a new limit of 0.5mg/l in order to allow for changes in pH and flow rate variations.

• 8 to 10 January 2020: Daily water samples from the Upper Valley Road sampling points are clear of contamination. Further random sampling points from within the Kawerau District also return clear of contamination.
• 13 January 2020: The Council submits the formal report to the Bay of Plenty District Health Board.

Improvements to Kawerau infrastructure

Kawerau District Council is already completing upgrades to the water infrastructure and has committed major funds in the coming years.

The Boil Water Notice had prompted questions about whether the Kawerau Council had invested enough in the infrastructure. Developed in the 1950s, there are some areas of infrastructure that are ageing, however, inspections of the reticulation system showed overall, it is still in good condition.

In 2019, the Council identified several projects as priorities including the upgrade of the water infrastructure and replacement of the water pipes. In addition, routine maintenance such as the annual flushing of the water reticulation system and air scouring every three years.

The first $130,000 project to complete remedial work on all three reservoirs began in December 2019. The project included remedial work on Kawerau’s two older reservoirs and was completed last week.

The next project will be a $1.2 million upgrade of the feeding lines into the water reservoirs which will be carried out as part of the 2019/20 Annual Plan.

The reticulation upgrade project will see the Kawerau District Council invest a further $15 million into replacing the old water reticulation system over the next five years.

Due to the scope of the work and cost, the Council is taking a prudent and careful approach to this work which will require between $2 million and $3 million to be invested every year for the next five years.

The Council is also in the process of installing backflow preventers throughout the district on residential properties. 

This work plan includes the replacement of the oldest reservoir.

Let Us Know

The Council encourages residents to keep the Council informed of any water issues such as discolouration or the need to change water filters more frequently.

Residents can phone 07 306 9009 anytime day or night to report a problem. For non-urgent feedback people can email kaweraudc@kaweraudc.govt.nz which is monitored in business hours. 

Civil Defence Emergency Mobile Alerts

Along with mainstream media (radio, media releases and social media) Kawerau District Council activated the Civil Defence emergency mobile phone  alerting  systems  to notify Kawerau residents of the Boil Water Notice restrictions being put in place and again when the notice was lifted.

These three mobile phone alerting systems are:

• The national EMA (Emergency Mobile Alert)
• Red Cross Hazard App
• Text alert

Approximately 70 percent of people with smart phones can receive the EMA – you will receive this automatically if you have a capable phone.

All smart phones can receive the Red Cross Hazard App by downloading the app. 

The text alert is the last option for those who do not have smart phones and have an older style mobile phone.

For more information please visit www.bopcivildefence.govt.nz/be-warned/ or email emergencymanagement@embop.govt.nz and you will be contacted by emergency management staff.

Emergency Management Staff will be providing assistance to people who want to understand more about these mobile alerting systems at the Kawerau i-SITE on:

• Tuesday, 21 February 2020
• Tuesday, 28 February 2020
• Tuesday, 4 March 2020