Precautionary boil water notice lifted for Hautere–Te Horo residents
Kāpiti Coast District Council has removed the precautionary boil water notice for the Hautere/Te Horo public water supply that was issued in November 2021.
The notice was put in place as a precautionary measure following water turbidity flowing through ultraviolet treatment reactors reaching levels not compliant with New Zealand’s water standards.
Turbidity is a measure of solid particles in water using the amount of light that can pass through. Although turbid water is not always unhealthy, high turbidity in drinking water can act as a shield for bacteria and other organisms, and as a result, can prevent treatments from disinfecting the water as effectively.
Acting Infrastructure Services Group Manager Glen O’Connor says Council has recently completed the first of a two phase $1.59 million upgrade at the Hautere water treatment plant to increase turbidity resilience, allowing the precautionary notice to be lifted.
The first of a two-stage $1.59 million upgrade at the Hautere water treatment plant to increase turbidity resilience is now complete
“The Hautere/Te Horo water supply was unique in Kāpiti because the water came from bores that were closely connected to the Ōtaki River meaning when there was heavy rain, turbidity levels could rise to noncompliant levels. While we never detected any water contamination, we needed a precautionary notice in place as an extra protection.
“As part of our upgrade works, we have now drilled and developed three new bores, two for production and one for monitoring, which, together with our water treatment processes, will ensure we can consistently provide high quality water no matter the weather.”
Extensive sampling of the network as well as the water tank at Te Horo School has returned results clear of any contamination giving Council the confidence to lift the precautionary boil water notice. Hautere and Te Horo residents who access the public water supply to top up their tanks do not need to continue to boil their water.
Focus will now shift to the second phase of the project which includes upgrades to the water treatment plant and the addition of new filters to further protect against water contamination.
“Providing a continuous supply of high quality and compliant water to the Hautere and Te Horo communities is a high priority for us. We want to thank residents for their patience and resilience over the last seven months and we look forward to delivering the next phase of this project, securing access to safe drinking water,” says Mr O’Connor.
Residents are advised to call the Council on 04 296 4700 or email [email protected] if they have any questions or concerns. For more information about the Kāpiti Coast District’s public water supply visit Your supply.