Ōpōtiki District Council Moves to Upgrade Te Kaha’s Drinking Water Scheme
- Jessica Doney
- 10 hours ago
- 2 min read
Ōpōtiki District Council has set aside funding in its 2024-34 Long Term Plan to improve quality of water supplied to the Te Kaha drinking water scheme.
The scheme currently sees 270,000 liters of water supplied daily to households and businesses across Te Kaha.
Council’s Group Manager Service Delivery, Nathan Hughes, said due to the shallow depth of the water wells in Te Kaha and their proximity to the Puremutahuri stream, the quality of the source water is often affected during things like wet weather events, when higher levels of sediment in the stream can infiltrate our shallow wells and small amounts of fine sediment can enter the treatment process.
“While the water is still treated and safe to drink, these conditions can reduce the effectiveness of certain treatment steps and can occasionally result in slightly cloudy water being supplied to the community,"
"Council has strict monitoring and management processes in place and in the rare event that the safety of the drinking water is compromised, council will issue a precautionary boil water notice until the issue is resolved,” Hughes says.
A dedicated project team is exploring options to upgrade the water scheme, including identifying a new water source, upgrading or replacing the existing treatment plant, and considering a new reservoir.
“These measures will improve the water scheme’s reliability and resilience, particularly during adverse weather events,"
“Investigation work is scheduled to begin this month and will start by assessing options for a new water source. These investigations will help inform the next stages of the project, which may include the development of a new water treatment plant and production bores,” Hughes says.
Ōpōtiki District Council say locals can expect to see activity on-site at the corner of Copenhagen Road and Te Maara Place in the coming weeks, and residents should have received a letter outlining the project and where to find more information.
Further information on the project can be found on Ōpōtiki District Council's Hono Mai | Connect webpage, www.connect.odc.govt.nz.
