Ōpōtiki District Council has allocated funding in its 2024-34 Long-Term Plan to improve the quality of water supplied to the Te Kaha drinking water scheme.

The scheme supplies approximately 270,000 litres of water daily to households and businesses throughout Te Kaha.

Group manager service delivery Nathan Hughes said because of the shallow depth of the water wells in Te Kaha and their proximity to the Puremutahuri stream, the quality of the source water was often affected during things like wet weather events, when higher levels of sediment in the stream could infiltrate the shallow wells and small amounts of fine sediment could enter the treatment process.

“Although the water is still treated and safe to drink, these conditions can reduce the effectiveness of certain treatment steps and can occasionally result in slightly cloudy water being supplied to the community.

“The council has strict monitoring and management processes in place and in the rare event that the safety of the drinking water is compromised, council will issue a precautionary boil water notice until the issue is resolved,” Mr Hughes said.

To upgrade the water scheme, a dedicated project team is investigating options for a new water source, upgrading or replacing the existing water treatment plant, and looking at options for a new reservoir.

“These measures will improve the water scheme’s reliability and resilience, particularly during adverse weather events.

“Investigation work is scheduled to begin this month and will start by assessing options for a new water source. These investigations will help inform the next stages of the project, which may include the development of a new water treatment plant and production bores,” Mr Hughes said.

Residents will see some activity on-site at the corner of Copenhagen Road and Te Maara Place in the coming weeks. Residents should also have received a letter outlining the project including where to go for more information.

Anyone who wants to know more about the project should go to council’s Hono Mai | Connect webpage, www.connect.odc.govt.nz.