Water man wins, & so does Ohakune

Ruapehu Bulletin, 11 August 1992, Page 10

Water man wins, & so does Ohakune

The path towards a chlorine-free treatment system for Ohakune can be squarely attributed to local automotive engineer Ben Goddard. Ben stood for council in 1986, at the time the issue was coming to a

head, on the promise that he wanted to see a chlorine-free system. "Close scrutiny by council will be required to ensure that the best all-round solution can be found, with a final product we can still all

drink!" he said in his Ohakune Borough Council election statement in the Bulletin of 30 September 1986. "Before standing for council I had read a lot about UV treatment and also had a background

knowledge of the Ohakune water supply through the fire brigade and through my father, Allan Goddard, who was council foreman." Ben upset several of his council colleagues with his persistence with his preferred UV system. But he had enough allies on council to keep the battle going. "We had so much thrown at us we had to come back to the council table time and time again with more answers. We came up against so many brick walls." He said his interest in the town's supply was through a fascination with water and its properties, and through concerns at the health threats of chemicals in the modern diet. This

latter concem followed a bout of illness put down to excessive food additives. Ben said he knew of research that showed a link between chlorine and some cancer, but did not make an issue of it during council arguments. Recently released research indicates that 15 per cent of kidney and bowel cancers can be attributed to chlorine in water supplies. But once he had won the battle at the Ohakune Borough Council table, the water war was not over. Amalgamation quickly overtook events, and the new Waimarino District Council took on the responsibility. The new councillors viewed the UV decision sceptically and considered serapping the plan. But Ohakune people had become used to the idea. But then the Ruapehu amalgamation came along, and a new set of councillors and council officers looked upon the UV decision as a strange

one. Asked if the RDC was bound by the decisions of the Ohakune Borough Council, new general manager Cliff Houston said that the new council would have to foot the bill and it was their right to change the decision. "Through three separate periods we had to keep putting the case forward," said Ben. "We had to virtually teach a

new set of staff all about it each time." Most of the engineers at the various stages were at best indifferent to the UV idea, and at worst - sceptical. But Ben and his supporters stuck with it. "Some people might have got sick of me. I was accused of having 'water on the brain' quite a few times," said Ben.

Fresh water for Ohakune

Ohakune's innovative Water Treatment Plant is officially opened, 1 August 1992.