The Thames-Coromandel District Council says its Pauanui Aquifer Reconfiguration Project will cost $329,000 and should be completed by July.

Pauanui's drinking water is treated as a ‘one supply' even though the principal source, the Oturu Stream, provides 99 per cent of the water annually and 70 per cent during the holiday peak.

The $329,000 Pauanui Aquifer Reconfiguration Project should be completed by July, says the Thames-Coromandel District Council. Photo: TCDC

The Oturu, a surface water source, is treated at the Pauanui Water Treatment Plant and has no compliance issues. There are also ground water sources - three bores - which are only used in peak demand periods.

But council says they still must be sampled monthly, as dictated by legislation and the Drinking Water Standards.

'Two of the bores currently pump into the Gallagher Park reservoir, with the other directly pumping into the reticulation. UV disinfection is undertaken for all bore water.

'Bores One and Two receive UV treatment when the water is pumped out of the Gallagher Park reservoir with Bore 3 having its own UV unit, in a shed near the bore.”

The reconfiguration project includes a number of upgrades, including power and new pipework.

But the main improvements will be to increase the security of the bore heads and to upgrade the pipework so water from the three bores will be redirected though one location. This will allow for additional filtration and UV treatment.

'The bore heads will be upgraded and new enclosures will be constructed around them. This work will secure and reduce the risk of contaminants finding their way down from the surface.

'The bores currently have no ability to flush prior to the water entering the town supply. The pipework upgrades will allow us to run each bore to waste, flushing the bore prior to the water making its way in the system.”

Upgraded monitoring will also be possible due to the installation of turbidity and individual flow meters for each bore.

The flow meters are important to enable flow control to the new cartridge filters and the turbidity meters can monitor any contaminants (silt, sand etc) and ensure the effectiveness of the UV disinfection.

Once this project is completed the bore field will have greater bore head security, the ability to flush the bores prior to use, have all the bore water passing through a cartridge filter, monitor both flow and turbidity continuously, plus have the capability to be operated remotely.

For more information about the Pauanui Aquifer Reconfiguration Project visit: www.tcdc.govt.nz/pauanuiwater