Water, water everywhere and ... and not a lot to drink.
Ranfurly residents were again asked to conserve water on Friday after the town’s water treatment plant was turned off following heavy rain. The plea was reiterated yesterday following rain during the weekend.
A Central Otago District Council statement said water going into the treatment plant was dirtier — had higher turbidity — than the plant could treat.
The plant was restarted on Friday but that evening the community was asked to conserve water to allow the reservoir to refill.
A further 34mm of rain fell at the weekend and once again dirty water was going into the system.
Ranfurly is on an orange conservation status.
Residents in the Maniototo township are old hands at conserving water.
In the first two weeks of February last year, the town had a restricted water supply followed by a boil-water notice for eight days.
Council water services manager Julie Muir said afterwards all the region’s water safety plans were being reviewed.
Contractor Fulton Hogan and the council’s oversight of the situation had been inadequate, Ms Muir told a council meeting in October that year after a review of the event.
Fulton Hogan reduced its claim of costs by close to $60,000 or about a third, following discussion about the cause of the event, Ms Muir said.
A business case for upgrading the Maniototo water supplies to meet drinking water standards, improve resilience to climatic events and enable the required investment, to be included in the next long-term plan, was under way, she said.
In September last year, a council statement said it would cost $20 million to $25m to build a new Ranfurly plant with a new water source.
In March last year, the town’s residents were asked to conserve water due to near drought conditions.
