Napier's low water levels force council to turn on another bore

A collection of dirty water images Napier residents shared on social media in 2019. Photo / File

Napier City Council will be turning on an additional water supply so that the city doesn't run out of water, but it could have some annoying side effects.

Demand for water in the city has increased to summertime levels in recent days, a council spokeswoman said.

The increased water flow from restarting an existing bore could result in dirty water issues in some suburbs and streets, she said.

The council advises those who experience this to run an outside tap for 15 minutes to clear it. But to help with water conservation, taps should not be run any longer than that.

If it continues after this time the council spokeswoman said people should call them so a team can flush out the mains in the street.

The low rainfall this spring has contributed to the increase in water demand.

Despite the need to conserve water, flushing dirty water from pipes and having clear water should remain the first priority, the spokeswoman said.

Manganese has always been present in the Napier's water network but dirty water has become more of an issue due to the manganese reacting with the chlorine the council has been adding to the water since 2017.

While the water source has a safe to drink manganese level, dirty tap water which some households have been experiencing has higher levels and should not be drunk.