Ruapehu District Council upgrades water monitoring process to meet more stringent sampling requirements

Three Waters manager Stuart Watson draws water from a new sampling station installed in Taumarunui. Photo / Supplied

Ruapehu District Council has installed new water collection stations in its townships to improve water monitoring.

The stations for the six township drinking water networks will help water contractor Veoila to take water samples and undertake quality control monitoring.

Three Waters manager Stuart Watson said water safety standards introduced by Taumata Arowai, the new water services regulator for Aotearoa New Zealand, required an increased sampling regime.

"The new above-ground stainless steel collection stations will speed up and improve the sampling process as the old sampling points were underground and carried an increased non-compliance, inaccuracy and safety risk in the collection process," Watson said.

"The number of collection stations on each network reflects their size and operational factors with 10 in Taumarunui, four in Ohakune, three in Owhango, two in Raetihi and one each in National Park and Ohura.

"As well as network locations, Taumarunui has sampling stations servicing its three reservoirs in Rangaroa, Matapuna and Sunshine Hill while Owhango has a sampling station for its reservoir and on its raw water collection line."