Discoloured tapwater came from older pipes: council water manager

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Residents in the inner city area around Aberdeen Road and Cobden Street who experienced discoloured water coming out of their taps last Tuesday have had an explanation from the council.

The issue was contained to that area.

Council water manager Leo Kelso said they appreciated it when people called about discoloured water as it helped pinpoint the areas in the network that may require flushing.

Following the request for service (RFS) about the water, contractors visited the site.

The residents were advised to flush their outside taps until the water ran clear.

“Fulton Hogan flushed the water main at the fire hydrant close to the property for approximately 30 minutes until the water ran clear,” Mr Kelso said.

“To check no other coloured water was apparent in the area, more hydrant flushing was completed the next day.

“The older water mains in the area are made of cast iron material which may be the source of iron oxide colouring in this event.”

Mr Kelso said no other colour issues had been reported in the past two weeks.

• The council can be contacted at any time at 0800 653 800 or 867 2049.