Water grading stuns council

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 532, 19 April 1994, Page 3

Water grading stuns council

"Can this be true?" asked Ruapehu District Council mayor Garrick Workman when introducing last week's agenda item 'Public Water Supply Grading 1993' tofellowcouncillorsattheirmonthly meeting on Friday. Mayor Workman was referring to a grading assessment report prepared by the Department of Health which claimed that Ohakune' s water treatment plant was classified as 'D' (unsatisfactory - high level of risk) and that of Raetihi was listed at 'E' (completely unsatisfactory - very high level of risk) while National Park was given a 4C' rating (marginal - moderate level of risk; may'be acceptable for small communities). The tests had been carried out in 1993 by Good Health Wanganui in Ohakune and Raetihi and by Health Waikato in National Park. Ohakune and Raetihi scored equally badly on their distribution (reticulation) systems, earning a

'D' in both cases while National Park again came out on top with a 'B ' rating (satisfactory - low level of risk). When concerned councillors asked RDC services asset manager Peter Jackson (who presented the report) for an explanation about the reason for Raetihi 's very poor water supply grading he said that it was due to turbidity fluctuations in the Makotuku river which was also open to contamination and pollution from animals. Mayor Workman said that when he had suggested a better filtration sy stem for Raetihi ' s water supply "it had gone down like a lead balloon". Cr Bob Peck said that the public perception of the water supplies in both Raetihi and Ohakune (following this report) was that "it was dangerous and undrinkable". Mr Jackson said that water testing was not very much more stringent under the new 'Drinking

Water Standards of New Zealand 1989 (DWSNZ 1989) Act" which had to conform to World Health Organisation standards. He said Ohakune' s marginally better grading was due to its more remote source but its low reading when the test was taken was probably due to the occasional breakdown of the newly-in-stalled water treatment plant which was "still not

entirely reliable". Cr Ellen Gould said she would question the water grading system itself because Ohakune' s water had never been better. Cr John Compton agreed that Ohakune residents would be very "up-tight" about the report having just installed a state-of-the-art U/V water treatment plant.