New Plymouth District water update: 5:15pm 23 February 2018

• Hundreds of volunteers have sprung into action following the New Plymouth water pipe being damaged during ex Cyclone Gita on Tuesday night.

• We are making solid progress towards restoring water but there is still a lot of work to do.

• Please continue to save and boil water.

• Water is now running through the pipeline and we are filling our reservoirs.

• We’ve got Fix-It squads in Waitara and are making good progress on stand piping* the 30 fire hydrants there.

• We’ve just mobilised 25 fresh volunteers who will be in Highlands Park tonight bringing water pressure back to the system in a controlled fashion.

• Once Waitara and Highlands Park are completed, we’ll move onto other parts of the District.

• Our teams are working on up to 30 stand pipes at any one time. Each takes several hours.

• There are still more than 70 hydrants to be stand piped over the rest of the District.

• Once water is restored there will be several days of flushing the pipes clean, so we can make the water safe to drink again.

• It will take about a week until we are in a position to lift the boil water notice.

• We’d like to thank everyone for their patience and our countless volunteers for all their hard work.

* Stand piping involves manually removing the lid of fire hydrants, and installing a vertical pipe (stand pipe) which allows air and water to escape the system as it is gradually refilled. We need to do this slowly so we can control the pressure, venting the air from the pipes as water rushes in. People will see water coming out of the pipe and this is an important safety measure; confirming the pipes are full of water and we are controlling the pressure.

Situation to date, Residents

All properties in New Plymouth, Bell Block, Waitara, Tikorangi, Lepperton, Onaero and Urenui are on a boil water notice.

Only use tap water (including filtered water) for drinking after boiling it for one minute, and for flushing the toilet. Please use your emergency water supplies first.

If you are not sure what the water situation is for your property, please check the Water Supply Map: http://www.newplymouthnz.com/Residents/Your-Property/Water/Emergency-Water-Map

Information on personal hygiene and food safety is available from the Taranaki District Health Board here: http://tdhb.org.nz/news/documents/2018-02-21.shtml

Note: you can shower safely as long as you avoid your face, but young children should be sponge-bathed instead. You may want to use bottled or boiled water if you have recent surgical wounds or a chronic illness. However, we instruct all residents in the boil-water notice area to cut back on their water use and use tap water only for drinking (after boiling it for one minute) and flushing the toilet.

There is a total ban on using water for gardens or outside washing.

Situation to date, Businesses and Schools

We’re asking you to boil and save water.

It is up to businesses and schools to decide if they should shut, however all water must be boiled first before being consumed.

Schools should talk to the Ministry of Education.

Hairdressers in the amber and red areas of the interactive Water Supply Map on newplymouthnz.com may not operate, for their customers’ safety, as we cannot guarantee a continued water supply at this time.

All big water users have been asked to stop using water.

If you are not sure what the water situation is for your property, please check the Water Supply Map: http://www.newplymouthnz.com/Residents/Your-Property/Water/Emergency-Water-Map

Situation to date, Safe drinking water

Water from the tankers that have been provided in critical areas does not need to be boiled.

The tankers are operating from 6am to 9pm at the following sites:

• Hickford Park Car Park (end of Smeaton Road), Bell Block.

• Bell Block Court, Bell Block (outside The Warehouse).

• Outside Waitara Memorial Hall, Memorial Place, Waitara.

• Clifton Park car park, opposite Waitara High School, Princess Street, Waitara.

• Outside Tennis/Bowling Club, Manutahi Road, Lepperton.

• Rimu Street Industrial Park, Rimu Street, Merrilands, New Plymouth.

• Outside Mangorei School, Mangorei Road, New Plymouth.

• 31 Onaero Beach Road.

• Urenui Corner Whakapaki Street & Ngakoti Streets opposite the primary school.

Please take your own containers for filling.

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