Tokaanu residents must boil water following pipe breaks

Tokaanu residents must boil water from the town supply following a double pipe break in the township this afternoon.

The alarm was raised about 4.30pm when a resident noticed a wastewater leak to a piece of land off State Highway 1. While repairs were being made the water pipe that runs alongside the wastewater pipe broke, raising the possibility of wastewater entering the water supply.

Taupō District Council head of operations Kevin Strongman said the council was taking a precautionary approach as protecting people's health was first and foremost.

"We are conducting testing of the supply and it will take the next 24-48 hours for those results to come back," he said. "Residents must boil water used for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth for at least three minutes to kill any possible bugs."

It is estimated there are about 60 properties in the Tokaanu township. Water tankers will be stationed outside the Tokaanu Hot Pools on Mangaroa Street and Tokaanu Marae and bottled water will also be available there for residents who choose to use this as an alternative.

Mr Strongman said it was hoped initial testing results would be available on Sunday morning. If they showed no bacteria, the boil water notice would be lifted.

"This is an extremely unfortunate incident and we are doing all we can to protect the health of residents and get the system back and running. We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause to the residents."

Anyone feeling unwell should visit their GP.

For updates please visit taupo.govt.nz.

9 March 2017

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lisa NairneHead of Communications and Customer Relations 07 376 0762 027 839 8410