WCB wants water answers

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 498, 10 August 1993, Page 1

WCB wants water answers

While the quality of the water Teaching Ohakune consumers is excellent, the W aimar ino Community Board believes it is high time the town's water treatment plant was free of its operational difficulties. At their meeting last Thursday the board decided to set up a meeting with the scheme's main contractor, Water Systems Technologies, and thecouncil's engineers to getsome answers to a number of questions regarding why the plant is suffering so many operational difficulties, and why it has taken more than 12 months for the plant to settle down. The decision came after the board first considered calling for independent consultants to assess the plant' s problems. Board chairman Colin Webb put forward a motion to call on the Ruapehu District Council to make funds available for an independent engineer's assessment of the plant, before the replacement diatomaceous earth filters are installed. He named Geoff Mills of Palmerston North as the engineer who should do the work. Mr Webb said he had viewed the plant with some people who were very knowledgable in

the engineering field, who had pointed out a number of design and construction faults. Despite being pressed, he would not name his experts. Mr Webb said $100,000 had already been spent on trying to patch up the million dollar plant. But mayor Garrick Workman called for caution before accepting such a motion. He admonished Mr Webb and board member Winston Oliver for their comments, saying people could take their comments to mean the water was not safe. Mr Oliver had said he heard of a number of concems about the Ohakune water supply,. "There is nothing whatsoever wrong with the water people are receiving," said Mr Workman. He said recalling rumours and making statements like 'I've heard' were dangerous. "Those types of comment have no place around a community board table, when public safety is being discussed." Mr Workman suggested that the board call for answers from the contractors and council engineers first. "You should be throwing these things right

back at the guys who built it. If they can't answer your questions, then that's the time to seek other advice." Board member Bob Peck said he did not support spending money on consultants when the council already employed highly paid engineering staff. He said he was also not prepared to vote on aresolution based on the opinions of people whose names and level of expertise was not made known to the board. Board member John Compton said it would notbe possible to have an independent consultant check the plant before the DE filters were reinstalled because the council would have to approve the plan, their meeting wasn't until towards the end of August, and the filters were due to be reinstalled in August. Mr Webb and Mr Oliver said they were confident that the water was safe, but stood by their concerns regarding the operation of the plant. Mr Webb said the pressure control valve in the system froze during a recent frost. A resultant pressure wave would have damaged the DE filters had they been in place.