Further work on ways to soften Wanganui's water will be done immediately, Wanganui District Council decided on Monday.
Initially softening the water supply was to be an option for the capital works referendum, but Mayor Michael Laws was successful in moving that work start immediately. Information and options will be discussed
at a works and transport committee meeting.
Announcing his intention in Monday's Chronicle, Mr Laws said he believed the issue was important enough to be considered separately from the referendum.
"Water quality is as fundamental as local government gets. For too long, in my view, Wanganui has put up with hard water with significant financial consequences for most households," Mr Laws said.
Cr Don McGregor told Monday's meeting the issue was quite complex. He would hate to see it go to a referendum without the background work being done. There was more than one option to consider.
In a committee report, public utilities manager Dean Taylor said there were different softening options available, but the one council would likely use was an ion exchange process.
It was the cheapest option, with a capital cost of $3 million and a $1 million annual operating cost. This would cost about $75 a year for every urban water ratepayer to save $150-plus a year on domestic operating costs.
Industry, which paid on usage, would pay a proportionately increased charge per cubic metre.
An alternative was mixing the soft and hard water sources to provide a lower level of hardness overall, Mr Taylor said.
Aramoho and part of Wanganui East already received soft water from the Brunswick bore.
This would affect the perception of equity if these ratepayers were required to contribute to a water softener treatment plant, he said.
The Lenihan St bore, intended to replace one of the older Kai Iwi bores, would also produce softer water.
Mixing hard and soft water would not be a complete solution in terms of optimum softness, but avoided some of the equity issues.
The option had not been accurately costed but it would be significant.
Mr Taylor said most of the information available pointed to the presence of calcium (which is what makes it hard) in drinking water being beneficial to health.
"It is, if you like, mineral water."
The downsides were effects on jug elements and hot water cylinders, plus the perceived odour, taste and other aesthetic properties that many consumers would rather not have.
