Water tasting adds valuable information to water supply solution decision

Results from a water taste testing will feed into the detailed investigation of options for additional water supply for the Paraparaumu/Raumati/Waikanae catchment, Mayor Jenny Rowan said today.

With just a few weeks to go before Council is due to make a decision on a solution for additional water supply, Council asked community volunteers to taste test five samples of water.

At last night’s taste testing in the Council chambers, the 10 tasters were asked to rate bore water, lime softened bore water, nano-filtered bore water, bore water blended with treated river water, and treated river water.

The tasters rated the various samples without knowing what they were.  Preliminary results showed that all samples had an acceptable taste.  The results indicated that improvements at the Waikanae Water Treatment Plant, such as UV filtering and carbon dosing, had pushed water quality to a much higher level in recent years.
 
Testers last night rated bore water highest, with treated river water rated lowest, Water Project Manager Phillip Stroud said.

Mr Stroud said the results would be used in the overall analysis of the six in-catchment options on the table – the Lower Maungakotukutuku Dam, the Kapakapanui Dam, the Ngatiawa Dam, Aquifer Storage and Recovery, Extended Borefield and Storage, and River Recharge with Groundwater.

All options have been extensively investigated over the past few weeks, with ecological assessments around the various potential dam sites, as well as test drilling to establish geotechnical and other conditions.
 
There has also been testing of existing bores to understand aquifer yield and investigations of water treatment processes to establish what water quality can be achieved from underground water sources.
 
“The investigations are giving Council invaluable insights into which options best meet the community’s criteria – the quality of water that we are able to supply, the long-term security of the supply in conjunction with water consumption management and the cost of building and maintaining the solution,” Ms Rowan said.

“We look forward to discussing the final recommendations in June.  This will be a major decision for Council – it will secure our water supply for the next 50 years or more,” she said.