Ohakune water vulnerable to parasite

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 8, Issue 373, 12 February 1991, Page 7

Ohakune water vulnerable to parasite

The council s techmcal services director has been swotting up on giardia during his holiday and is now much more familiar with the problems the council may face with the Ohakune Water Supply Treatment System, he told the community board. He said places like Ohakune are particularly vulnerable because it thrives in cold water, with 4 degrees Celsius the optimum. Without reservoirs the water flow through the filters would not be constant which would mean a more complex filtration system would be needed, he said. "Even at this late stage I feel it is worth looking at putting in a reservoir," he told the board. He said he has had discussions with the Department of Conservation on the siting of water tanks. He said the proposal to call for tenders for both the chlorination

and ultra-violet systems would give the council a lot of very accurate information and that the council would then be better placed to make a

sound economic decision. There is concem that the Health Department subsidy may not be available soon, which is

another reason for calling for alternative tenders, he said. "We can't spin it out for another 12 months," said Mr Dobson.