Do-not-drink notice to Tokomaru community following elevated lead levels in water supply

The Horowhenua District Council has distributed bottled water to Tokomaru School and Tokomaru Early Childhood Centre.

Tokomaru residents have been advised to stop using water from the Tokomaru water supply immediately due to elevated levels of lead.

The Horowhenua District Council issued a do-not-drink water notice today (Wednesday, August 7) for Tokomaru residents as a precautionary step after out-of-cycle water testing showed elevated levels of lead in the Tokomaru water supply.

Residents should use bottled water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, washing fruits and vegetables, preparing food, mixing baby formula, making ice and giving water to pets. Advice from the Ministry of Health and Taumata Arowai says that water can still be used for bathing and washing.

A do-not-drink water notice is issued when the water supply is or could be, contaminated with harmful chemicals and toxins. In this case, boiling water will not make it safe, a council press release stated.

A tanker was sent from the RSA to the Tokomaru Community Hall as an interim alternative water supply and was on site this morning. The council also contacted Tokomaru Early Childhood Centre and Primary School, dispatching 150 bottles of water to the school and early childhood centre and to facilitate logistics for the school supply.

Tokomaru School principal Mel Ryan said there was plenty of water available today.

“We appreciate receiving the bottled water from the council. Across the road, I can see the tanker in the community hall car park so there is plenty of water to go around for the school, early childhood centre and community.”

Tokomaru Early Childhood Centre manager Madeleine Ross-Morley said she contacted the council after she found out the school was receiving water bottles.

“The council has been really helpful and we appreciate the water that has been given to us. However, I feel that as a community, we should have known from the get-go that something was wrong with the water. If I hadn’t been in touch earlier, I worry we may not have been contacted at all.”

Horowhenua District Council said today’s do-not-drink notice was issued 90 minutes after the council received yesterday’s test results which indicated non-compliant lead levels in both the reticulation network and the reservoir at the Tokomaru Water Treatment Plant.

The council will be in contact with the Ministry of Health later today for the latest water testing results and planned next steps. Further testing and a “dip” sample will be taken directly from the reservoir, other control sites and from the river source.

These samples will be taken in triplicate to allow priority testing in Wellington Lab today, Palmerston North Lab on Thursday and Massey Lab if required.

An update is expected around 5pm today.

What we know:

In April 2024 the council tested all drinking water in Horowhenua as part of routine metal testing regime. These results came back compliant (safe for drinking).

On July 16, the council tested drinking water at the Tokomaru Fire Station as part of an out-of-routine test, given the recent completion of some much-needed upgrades at the Tokomaru Water Treatment Plant.

That test indicated the presence of lead in the network - this was thought to be a sampling error, however as a precaution council has followed through with additional and more regular testing.

Following advice from Taumata Arawai (NZ Water Regulator) through this process, Council implemented an enhanced testing regime. Results in late July confirmed the reservoir was compliant.

On Sunday, August 4, a further result that indicated the presence of lead in the reticulation network was thought to be impacted by a corroding brass tap at the sampling point.

These results are due to the enhanced testing in place, and Council has with immediacy again contacted Taumata Arawai and the Ministry of Health for advice.

Follow the council’s website and social media pages to keep updated.