Since their bores dried up about two years ago, Clyde market gardener Maurice Smith, his family and his neighbours have been taking their household water from irrigation pond.
Though they filter and boil it, they have no idea what is lurking in their water. Their dams often fill with slime in the summer months and freeze over or stagnate in the winter months.
The four families, who between them have five children under the age of 9, have applied to the Vincent Community Board to connect to the Clyde town water supply.
A resource consent application for property development in the Mutton Town area also proposes a connection to the Clyde town water supply.
A report on the matter was tabled at the board's meeting last month but was found to be lacking vital information.
At the time, Central Otago District Council development engineer Peter Morton said issues surrounding a historical agreement with Contact Energy, which runs the Clyde Dam, came to light after his report was written. Under that agreement, Contact has to supply the electricity to power the Clyde water supply pump.
Before the extra connections were made, Mr Morton said he would have to investigate the impact they would have on electricity needs.
He is expected to report back to the board at its meeting on Monday and Mr Smith is hopeful of getting an answer to ease the water woes in his area.
He said not getting access to the town water supply was a health issue for the neighbours.
Water in their irrigation dams came from Falls Dam, near St Bathans, down the Manuherikia Valley via water races and other irrigation ponds but "who knows what gets in there". A dead sheep, possum or other animal could be somewhere in the water race and no-one would know about it.
Extensive research had been done to find another bore site but it had turned up nothing suitable, Mr Smith said.
