Safe to drink: Fordell boil water notice ends after two weeks – Whanganui District Council

Whanganui District Council has lifted the Fordell boil water notice after two weeks. Photo / 123rf

Whanganui District Council has lifted the boil water notice for all properties connected to the Fordell rural water supply.

The boil water notice, issued on August 8 as a precaution when deterioration on the reservoir storage tank roof was identified, was lifted today.

“We are taking a ‘belts and braces’ approach to safety because the last thing we want is for someone to become sick,” council chief executive David Langford said when the notice was issued.

Daily water testing during the notice period showed no signs of contamination, with clear results for E. coli and total coliforms.

Taumata Arowai, the national water regulator, has been informed as part of the process.

Council senior engineering officer Dave Rudolph said the roof of the reservoir storage tank had not yet been repaired, but a temporary supply had been installed to bypass the existing treated water reservoir.

The next step will be to return the regular reservoir tank to service once the roof replacement is complete – a task that was already on the council’s work programme before identifying the deterioration.

“Scaffolding is in place to protect the permanent Fordell reservoir tank while contractors complete the roof replacement,” Langford said.

Fordell residents who have used tap water for non-consumption activities over the past two weeks can now use the water as normal for drinking, preparing food, making up infant formula, handwashing and cleaning teeth.

Residents who have not used tap water over the past two weeks should run their taps for three to five minutes to get rid of any water that may be sitting in the pipes.

“We do not expect any further disruptions to the Fordell community,” Langford said.