5.54pm, 13 May 2019
At approximately 5.10pm today, chlorine was added to Martinborough’s town water supply. It was one of the final steps in restoring safe drinking water to the town. Next, three days of clear testing will be required before the boil water notice can be lifted. Until then, all water for drinking and food preparation should continue to be boiled.
Acting Chief Executive Jennie Mitchell says that today brings some relief, but it is not the end. Investigations into finding the source of contamination are expected to take a number of months to complete and the town water supply will remain chlorinated during this time.
“For Council, businesses, winemakers and residents, today is an important milestone. It is the culmination of a huge amount of work,” says Ms Mitchell.
Council has undertaken a six-day, network-wide air scouring and flushing programme to reduce manganese sediment and biofilm within the pipes, with the aim of reducing the discoloration that can occur once chlorine is added.
Ms Mitchell says, “we acknowledge that the past few weeks, and in particularly this past week of water outages, have been a challenging time for people”.
Winemakers, who are an integral part of the Martinborough community, have been the most impacted by the Council’s decision to temporarily chlorinate.
Ms Mitchell adds, “we’re extremely grateful to the winemakers for the priority they’ve given to getting ready for this chlorination deadline.
“It won’t be long now until the boil water notice can be lifted, hopefully by the end of the week. Thank you to everyone for continuing to boil water until we can confirm the water is safe,” says Ms Mitchell.
Residents may experience the taste and/or smell of chlorine in their drinking water. This can be reduced if the water is placed in a jug or a container in the fridge for up to 48 hours. Over time the chlorine level in the water decreases. Alternatively boiling the water also helps to remove the smell and taste of chlorine.
Advice to households experiencing discoloured water is to run a cold tap (preferably outside tap) until the water runs clear. If flushing a cold tap doesn’t clear the water or if you have any concerns, contact SWDC on 06 306 9611.
ENDS
Media contact
Amy Wharram
027 252 2863
