Morrinsville on water alert after problem at town’s water treatment plant

Matamata-Piako District Council moved Morrinsville to water alert level 4. Photo / Duncan Brown

Matamata-Piako District Council has moved Morrinsville to water alert level 4 until further notice, due to an issue at the town’s water treatment plant on Saturday night.

The council asked residents to stop all outdoor water use, reduce water use wherever possible and keep water for essential purposes only, like flushing toilets, preparing food and washing hands.

The problem at the treatment plant meant the council was unable to process and treat more water on Sunday, and Morrinsville has been relying on the water that was already treated and stored in the reservoir.

While the water levels at the reservoir were “extremely low” today, the water treatment plant is now operating at full capacity. However, the council is only just keeping up with demand, so it is asking residents to keep using water for essential purposes only.

The water restrictions had been in place since yesterday morning as the council is working to fix the problem at the treatment plant.

On its Facebook page, the council said residents could collect water from the tankers at the Morrinsville Council Office and the Lockerbie playground until 11pm tonight and again from 6am tomorrow morning.

“The water treatment plant is running well and the reservoir is slowly being refilled to avoid getting air in the pipes and causing breakages. To ensure the reservoir keeps filling up, we really need everyone to continue conserving water,” the council said.

“Good news is the Morrinsville water treatment plant is producing water again and the Morrinsville trunk main has been filled. However, we still need to stick to essential water use only as the reservoir is still re-filling.”

People in need of water are asked to be patient and bring their own containers.

“If you have elderly or housebound neighbours or whānau you are welcome to fill containers for them too. If you know of someone who needs water who isn’t able to get it themselves or through friends/family, please contact us,” the council said.

The phone number is 0800 746 467.