Conserve water; food, bedding and clothing available for those in need

Cars line up at a Napier petrol station, as residents face up to two weeks without power. Photo / Georgina Campbell

Conservative water use and general caution are being advised for all Hawke’s Bay residents due to the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle on water supplies.

Central Hawke’s Bay District Council advised Level 4 water restrictions and a boil notice were in place throughout Waipawa, Otāne and Waipukurau, meaning no outdoor water use, except in the case of an emergency, as of Thursday afternoon.

Clean water in Central Hawke’s Bay can be accessed at:

• Waipawa Fire Station on Kenilworth St
• Central Hawke’s Bay Municipal Theatre, Waipawa
• Racecourse Rd, Waipukurau opposite GM Panel Beaters
• Centralines Sports Stadium
• Otāne Town Hall

CHBDC’s advice to affected residents is to conserve water where possible, use water for emergency purposes only and avoid using household appliances that have high water consumption like washing machines.

Wairoa District Council said water supplies were extremely limited on Thursday evening and it was crucial to conserve water.

“Wairoa town supply water is safe for drinking. Please boil water from other supplies to be safe,” a council statement said.

“Please treat all floodwater as contaminated as the wastewater system is overwhelmed. Don’t rush to flush - this puts strain on the water and wastewater systems.”

Napier City Council has connected generators to drinking water supplies and while this has helped with pressure, residents have been asked to conserve water while this temporary fix is in place.

The water from Napier taps is safe to drink, but NCC said people should limit showering and flushing, do dishes and wash clothes by hand and should not wash down paving and driveways.

Hastings District Council water supplies were all safe for drinking on Thursday afternoon, except for Te Pōhue which requires boiling and Whirinaki/Esk Hills, which had no water supply available and emergency response agencies assisting.

HDC advised those on tank and bore water supplies to boil their water as a precaution as the supply may have been impacted by flood waters and/or wind-blown debris.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council said there was no need to panic buy as supermarkets were restocked on Thursday.

HBRC said in an update on its Facebook page on Thursday that Napier’s wastewater treatment plant was discharging untreated sewage through the outfall to sea and urged residents to NOT consume kai moana.

It was unknown when the treatment plant will be repaired.

The Hawke’s Bay Environment Centre at 201 Southland Rd, Hastings has kai, clothing of all sizes and toiletries available for those in need after a huge response to their call for donations.

Emma Horgan-Heke, chief executive officer of the Sustaining Hawke’s Bay Trust, said the centre was open 8am-late afternoon and will be offering free lunches for the community over the next few days. She encouraged the community to visit and eat some warm kai around lunchtime.

Caterers BBQ Gourmet will be offering a community barbecue from 4pm to 6pm on Friday in the Cheval Room at the Hawke’s Bay Racecourse in Hastings.

Civil Defence centres are available for those in need of welfare and shelter at Centennial Hall, Latham St, Napier, Hastings Sports Centre, Railway Rd Hastings, Flaxmere Community Centre, Swansea Rd and CHB Municipal Theatre, Kenilworth St Waipawa, as of Thursday afternoon.

Many other places, including Waipatu Marae, Te Aranga Marae and Hastings Sports Centre, reported they had reached capacity for blankets, towels, clothes and shoe donations on Thursday.

Chilled items are off the menu, as Hawke’s Bay shoppers flocked to supermarkets with power.

Toilet paper, long-life products, bread and snacks are flying off the shelves in panic-buying said to be reminiscent of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The difference this time is, that with many shoppers still without power, perishables items are in limited demand.

Supermarkets in Hastings and Havelock North had been packed since doors opened on Thursday morning, as to had those in Napier.