Published 26/02/2018
Wellington Water support for NPDC
Wellington Water has deployed a team to assist New Plymouth District Council (NPDC), following their ‘Boil Water’ emergency alert, which came into effect after there was damage to the water mains caused by a tree, as a result of Cyclone Gita last week.
We’ve provided the support of two operators, Ian Hunt and Tony Ochsner, and two support staff, Nick Hewer-Hewitt and Robert Mackie. They arrived in New Plymouth on Friday and Saturday, and will be there until at least Tuesday, when the second shift will take over. They are helping NPDC carry out a very comprehensive sampling programme across their networks so that the water can be deemed safe to drink and the boil water notice can be lifted.
New Plymouth’s State of Emergency was lifted on Sunday and water has been restored to all properties, however the boil water notice is still in place. When the main was damaged, it resulted in lower water pressure and an increased risk of contamination entering the network.
The boil water notice is likely to remain in place for the rest of the week, or until consistent testing shows safe water quality.
The Wellington region was relatively unscathed after Cyclone Gita, and what happened in New Plymouth is an excellent example of the role of an Emergency Management Team, and ensuring any damage to the water networks is repaired as quickly and safely as possible, and that customers are kept well informed.