Ohakune water should be boiled

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 364, 27 November 1990, Page 3

Ohakune water should be boiled

Giardia found in town water supply

The Ruapehu District Council is still advising Ohakune borough residents to boil their drinking water for at least three minutes, as a safeguard against the parasite 'Giardia Lamlia'. "Personally I don't feel there is any difference in the supply now than what there's been for years," said Mayor Garrick Workman.

Recent analysis of a sample of Ohakune water revealed the presence of Giardia cysts. However, general manager Cliff Houston said the tests were merely a "snapshot" of the water supply at a particular period of time. Mr Houston said a positive result at that time did not prove the organism's full-time presence in the water supply. Quantitative testing he said, is

the only method of obtaining an accurate positive or negative result. Mr Houston said the essential message from regional tests was that where there are treated water supplies, such as

National Park, Owhango and Ohura, the results were negative. "It highlights the need to get the treated water supply into Ohakune," he said. Councillor Ellen Gould expressed concern

at the "insurmountable difficulties" involved in safeguarding school children drinking from water fountains. For this reason a Giardia rated water filter is to be fitted at Ohakune Primary School this week.