Hold off on chlorination, QLDC urged
RESIDENTS around the Queenstown Lakes district are pleading with the council for it not follow through with its plan to chlorinate all of the district’s water supply, but Mayor Jim Boult says there is unlikely to be any alternative.
On Tuesday evening, about 25 Hawea residents joined councillors and staff in the Hawea Flat Community Hall to voice their opinions on the council’s intention to chlorinate the town’s water supply.
The meeting came before councillors vote today on whether to do so.
Mr Boult said given what was happening around the country, the council’s hands were tied.
‘‘It’s very obvious that a lot of people feel very passionate about chlorination.
‘‘Given the knowledge that we have of government intention on this matter, I think we’re not really left any alternative.’’
Some were dismayed by the council’s intention to chlorinate so hastily.
‘‘Why on earth do you keep wanting to put chlorine in? We’re against it and many people here are totally against that, yet QLDC seem to be determined that we’re going to have chlorine,’’ Hawea resident May Nisbet said at the meeting.
‘‘We’re walking little bombs, full of chlorine. It’s not good enough. You are not listening to the people and you are not doing your research,’’ she said.
Fellow resident Don Robertson said it seemed decisions were being ‘‘made for us, not with us’’ and asked for the council to work with the community to find the right decision.
However, council chief engineer Ulrich Glasner said the decision had to be made today as the council was under pressure from national bodies to enforce a water safety plan.
Council chief executive Mike Theelan explained how things had changed since the Havelock North water contamination of 2016 which left three dead and 5000 ill.
‘‘The decision coming out of the Havelock North inquiry says councils must adopt a multibarrier approach.
‘‘The reality is we haven’t been meeting the standards we should have been meeting five years ago,’’ he said.
The Hawea meeting was the last of three held across the district in the past three weeks. Others were in Glen orchy and Arrowtown.
Residents at other meetings were equally unimpressed with the council’s water chlorination plan.
After consulting neighbours, Arthurs Point resident Ashley Murphy has started a change.org petition seeking to defer the decision to per manently chlorinate and he wants ‘‘more time’’ so alternatives can be examined.
So far, he has more than 340 signatures of support.
‘‘Residents need to be part of the conversation. We feel the dates imposed are a bit soon . . . We just want to have some say and express some concern.’’
The small scheme water supplies in Hawea, Arthurs Point, Glenorchy, Arrowtown and Luggate have been under precautionary chlorination since December, enforced to ensure safe drinking water over the busy summer period, and followed detection of E. coli in the Glenorchy water supply.
But Glenorchy Community Association chairman John Glover said the council was failing to see the bigger picture.
He believed temporary chlorination should remain until a ‘‘thorough review’’ was done.