Drinking water found to be unsafe

Water contamination from toxic firefighting foam has been found at unsafe levels at 15 properties, and in seven cases people have been drinking the water.

A testing programme was announced in early December for properties surrounding the Ohakea and Woodbourne airbases, after foam contamination was discovered at the bases in levels higher than guidelines allow.

Sixty-four properties and 93 drinking water samples have now been tested, to discover if runoff from the bases had caused wider contamination,

Health Minister

David Clark said yesterday.

Of those, 23 were properties surrounding

Ohakea Air

Force Base, where 19 tests showed the toxic foam contaminants were present on the land.

The chemical was higher than guidelines indicate are safe for drinking water in 13 of these cases, and in five cases Manawatu¯ residents had been drinking this water before testing began.

At Woodbourne, 41 properties were tested and 22 tested positive. In two cases the amount exceeded safe drinking water guidelines, and people had been drinking this water in both cases.

‘‘We know that this will be concerning for these families, and government agencies and local councils will work with them to make sure they have the information and support they need – including the ongoing supply of alternative drinking water,’’ Clark said.

‘‘The advice of health officials remains that there is no acute health risk, but a precautionary approach is being taken because the long-term effects are uncertain,’’ he said.

‘‘All of the affected properties have been offered bottled drinking water since December and have been encouraged to take up this offer.’’

At some properties, the contaminated water had been used for stock and irrigation.

Clark said the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has advised there is ‘‘no impact on the national food chain’’.

However, MPI will be talking with residents who produce and consume the majority of their own food from their properties. More testing is continuing, with the testing area ‘‘slightly expanded’’, he said.

James Malone, who owns a property near the southern edge of Ohakea, said he was concerned about the level of uncertainty that still surrounded the contamination for many of his neighbours.

‘‘I’m really up in the air about it ... all I know was what was in the media.’’

Malone said he was surprised he hadn’t been contacted by any government officials, or been included in the initial round of tests. His Speedy Rd property is less than 2 kilometres downstream of the base.

He didn’t know yet if his property would be included in the expanded testing area.

‘‘I’m really up in the air about it . . . all I know was what was in the media.’’ James Malone - who owns a property near the southern edge of Ohakea