The council’s network services team leader, Nineva Vaitupu, said two locations for water tanks had been identified in discussions with the Waikouaiti Coast Community Board and the Waitati Volunteer Fire Brigade.
The locations were Doctors Point Rd, at Michie’s Crossing, for which resource consent had been granted, and at the Warrington Domain, which was still being finalised.
The tanks would be connected to the local water distribution network and would be used as a supplementary source of water for firefighting.
Waikouaiti Coast Community Board chairman Alasdair Morrison said the installation of the 30,000-litre tank in Waitati would significantly benefit the safety of the public in the area.
‘‘In the past, we’ve had some problems with the availability of water.’’
Waitati Volunteer Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer Jeff Burrow said having quick access to ‘‘a stable, solid water supply’’ would be invaluable in efforts to keep the community safe.
‘‘The sooner we can hit the fire, the sooner we can put it out, and the less damage the property retains,’’ he said.
‘‘Last year, there was an instance in which we were pumping water out of the bay, and the tide was going out, so we had some problems.’’
