No E coli found in town water

While testing shows Martinborough’s council is getting on top of its water contamination problem, it could be at least a week before residents can drink from their taps.

Reservoirs were being scrubbed out and part of the town’s water reticulation network has been chlorinated, with the latest testing showing no presence of E coli in the water.

But until Regional Public Health was satisfied everything had been done to fix any possible contamination sources, South Wairarapa District Council has to wait before it can start the testing regime to allow the notice to be lifted.

Once the ‘‘risk points’’ have been addressed, the council needed to show the water was clean by having three consecutive days of clear tests.

Martinborough residents were slapped with a boil water notice on Friday, February 1, after routine water testing came up positive for E coli in the water supply.

Infrastructure and services manager Mark Allingham said while they could not give a firm date for lifting the boil water notice, it hoped it would be by next weekend.

‘‘It could be clear by the weekend but we are unsure yet. We’ve been very factual and correct all the way through and we don’t want to make any guesses,’’ he said.

The latest post-chlorination test results yesterday were all clear, and increased sampling and testing of water within the network was continuing.

‘‘The big thing is trying to come up with a determination of what could have been the cause,’’ Allingham said.

The water tanks

‘‘We’re hoping that the increased continued testing shows we have cleared the water for safe drinking.’’

South Wairarapa mayor Viv Napier

were being ‘‘superchlorinated’’ and scrubbed out one-by-one and the reservoirs were planned to be emptied and thoroughly cleaned starting yesterday.

Once all the cleaning was done, which was expected to be by Tuesday, the plan was to flush the whole network.

South Wairarapa mayor Viv Napier said authorities were not taking any chances with the risk of recontamination, and were being highly vigilant with increased testing and sampling.

‘‘If we didn’t have the issue of high manganese in the water here, which turns the water blue/black when chlorine is added, we would have chlorinated the whole network by now.

‘‘Chlorination is a sure-fire way to kill any bacteria, but that would mean no water available for the town for the duration of the process.

‘‘We’re hoping that the increased continued testing shows we have cleared the water for safe drinking,’’ Napier said.

Safe drinking water is available from emergency water bladders behind the Waihinga Centre, outside the Wharekaka aged-care home, Martinborough School, the golf club and rugby club. The bladders will stay in place until the boil water notice is lifted.