Far North residents urged to cut water use after flood damages treatment plants

The water treatment plant at Haruru Falls supplying Paihia, Waitangi and Ōpua has been damaged by debris washed downriver during Tuesday’s torrential rain. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Residents of several Far North towns are being urged to urgently reduce water consumption after Tuesday’s torrential rain damaged treatment plants in Paihia, Kaitāia and Ōpononi.

Paihia’s water plant, on the Waitangi River just upstream from Haruru Falls, was damaged after storm debris blocked the plant intake.

The plant has been unable to treat water since then, causing water levels in the reservoir supplying Paihia, Waitangi and Ōpua to drop sharply.

As a result residents and businesses in those towns — as well as anyone connected to the Kaitāia and Ōpononi town supplies — have been asked to reduce water use for the next 24 hours.

A council spokesman said Far North Waters staff had been working through the night to repair damage to the Paihia treatment water plant.

That was confirmed by a local resident who said the lights were on all night at the plant and the area was swarming with workers this morning.

Kaitāia’s water treatment plant was facing similar problems, with silt and debris choking the Awanui River, its main water source.

Water levels in the town’s two reservoirs were now seriously depleted with one well below 50 per cent, the spokesman said.

With river levels falling the intakes could be cleared but the plant would need a full flush with clean water before it could restart later today.

The council had also asked the JNL triboard plant, a major water user, to reduce consumption for 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the problems at Ōpononi had been caused by a major leak in the water pipe, causing the reservoir level to drop below 45 per cent.

The search for the leak had been complicated by wet ground conditions.

Until it could be fixed, likely later today, anyone connected to the Ōpononi-Ōmāpere water supply was asked to reduce consumption.

Easy ways to cut water consumption included taking shorter showers, delaying washing clothes and dishes, and flushing only when necessary.

People keen to wash silt and other storm debris from their properties were also urged to put off using outside hoses for 24 hours.