As many as 1000 rural people in North Otago were without tap water yesterday after floodwaters contaminated water intakes.
Many consumers on rural water schemes in the Waitaki district are now relying on water tankers for their drinking supplies.
Torrential rain and widespread flooding left some schemes with badly discoloured and contaminated water, forcing some pumps to be switched off.
The Waitaki District Council has positioned three water tankers in the worst affected areas.
Civil Defence public information manager Rowan Carroll said yesterday tankers were at the Herbert Garage and Papakaio Hall last night, and a third would be at Whitestone Contracting's Palmerston yard from 10am today.
The tankers were supplied by NZ Dairies at Studholme and each carried 17,000 litres of drinking water.
They would be refilled as needed and remain until water scheme pumps were back on.
People needed to bring their own containers for the water.
The closed schemes are Awamoko, Dunback, Hampden-Moeraki, Herbert-Waianakarua and Lower Waitaki.
The Kauru Hill, Goodwood and Windsor schemes have been turned back on, but are being monitored.
"It will be several days before the supply to consumers' water tanks is restored to normal," Ms Carroll said.
Consumers on other rural water schemes were being asked to conserve water and supplies were being monitored to see if "boil water" notices needed to be issued.
The problem has not affected Oamaru because of the large storage in its reservoir.
Three houses in Aln St, Oamaru, were evacuated about 6pm yesterday after a retaining wall behind one of them collapsed on to a utility vehicle.
The extent of the land movement and threat to the houses, near Eden St, could not be assessed last night because of the dark and wet conditions.
Waitaki Civil Defence public information manager Scott Ridley said an engineer would assess the area behind the three houses this morning.
Families which had been evacuated with the assistance of police, an Army Unimog and personnel, were being looked after by Civil Defence.
Another problem in North Otago yesterday was the removal of "road closed" and other signs warning of flooded roads.
Civil Defence incident controller Neil Jorgensen did not know how many signs had been taken or removed, but said it created major dangers for motorists.
"Interfering with any road warning sign puts the public at risk and we take the matter very seriously. Any person who sees someone interfering with signs should contact police."
At Civil Defence headquarters in Oamaru key personnel remained on duty last night, with others available on-call if the situation changed.
A briefing of all staff at 9am today will look at projections for the weekend to determine what Civil Defence presence will be needed.
Yesterday, all schools had reopened and school buses ran as normal, except on some roads at Papakaio, Peebles and Hilderthorpe.
The Glenavy School bus was running, but not on State Highway 1 between Seven Mile Rd and Pukeuri.
State Highway 1 south of Oamaru closed again on Thursday when the railway underpass at Deborah flooded, but reopened again late yesterday morning after rural fire and Whitestone Contracting had pumped the water out - the second time this week.
Traffic had to use a detour through Weston.
The highway north of Pukeuri was still blocked at Hilderthorpe yesterday, traffic detouring via SH 83 and Seven Mile Rd.
Both SH83 and SH82 to Kurow remained open.
More than 50 local roads, other than state highways, remained closed because floodwaters were only receding slowly after constant rain yesterday. Changes in status will be listed during the weekend on the council's website.
The Waitaki District Council has set its rates meeting down for Monday at 9am in the Opera House, after it had to be cancelled on Wednesday when some councillors could not get to it because of the flooding.
The meeting is to decide on next year's annual plan and budget, which will set the rates increase.
WEEKEND CONTACTS
• Latest Civil Defence information during the weekend, including road closures, is available on the Waitaki District Council website www.waitaki.govt.nz
• Waitaki district residents experiencing problems can contact Civil Defence in Oamaru on 433 0300 or 0800 108 081 and ask for the welfare manager.
