Stuart Nash: Permanent chlorination not needed

Stuart Nash, Labour MP, Napier.

Opinion

I have been on record a number of times stating that the ongoing chlorination of Napier's water supply is unacceptable and unnecessary.

Let's start with the principle that we all want safe drinking water.

No one wants a repeat of the Havelock North debacle. Whole populations coming down with illness is totally unacceptable in the 21st century. In a Radio NZ interview on the Havelock North issue a few months ago, Water NZ president Brent Manning stated that he believed every municipal water supply should be chlorinated. That was the wrong response.

If the question is "How do we ensure safe drinking water?", the answer is certainly not "add chemicals".

There are, however, two alternative solutions that will deliver safe chemical-free drinking water.

The first is obvious: make sure that the infrastructure delivering the water is up to standard. The Napier City Council has announced measures to ensure this part of the equation is met.

The second requires 21st century thinking: treating the water with ozone kills 100 per cent of the microbes that can potentially cause harm; it is chemical free and completely safe. It is cheaper than UV and much safer than chlorine and it's easy to install and maintain.

In fact, the country's most innovative manufacturer of ozone products is located right here in Napier.

A simple Google search for "chlorine in drinking water" brings up a report published by the highly credible United Nations World Health Organisation that contained the line: "An increased risk of bladder cancer appeared to be associated with the consumption of chlorinated tap water in a population-based, case-control study of adults consuming chlorinated or non-chlorinated water for half of their lifetimes."

The source of this study is the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. This is referring to my children's situation - they drink our water by the gallon.

In fact chlorine injected into the reticulation system at current levels is only proven to kill up to 60 per cent of known pathogens.

I am told by a water expert that in order to achieve a 100 per cent kill rate, chlorine has to be used at such a dose that it is highly carcinogenic.
The bottom line is that the permanent chlorination of Napier's water supply is not needed.

A number of countries (including Germany, Holland and the Scandinavian countries) are removing chlorine systems from their water supply.

Suggesting that our water must be chlorinated to deliver a safe and secure flow is simply not true and we must not be allowed to be hoodwinking by the so-called experts that this is the only way forward.

This is something worth standing up and fighting for.

* Stuart Nash is the Napier MP and is standing again in this year's election.