The Thames-Coromandel District Council is reassuring the community that drinking water across the peninsula is safe for consumption.

This reassurance comes after some 4100 people in the Hawke's Bay region were struck down with a gastro illness caused by campylobacter from a contaminated Havelock North water supply.

Following a recent gastro outbreak in Hawke's Bay, the Thames-Coromandel District Council is reassuring the public that drinking water across the peninsula is safe for consumption. File Photo.

Water Services Manager Ian Smith says the district council operates and monitors the Coromandel's drinking water sources under the guidelines of the Drinking Water Standards.

Under the standards, the council works with the Waikato District Health Board's Drinking Water Assessor to test and monitor the districts potable water supplies.

'Following the gastro outbreak in Hawke's Bay, we want to reassure our residents and ratepayers of the safety of our drinking water supplies,” says Ian.

'Over the past 12 months we've had four very low-level E-coli samples, but this has never presented the same risk as the Hastings network, as our potable (drinking) water supplies all receive either chlorine or UV treatment for disinfection.”

The four samples where low levels of E. coli were detected were at Pauanui, Hahei and twice at Onemana.

The supplies were resampled as soon as possible and in all cases the results were clear for three successive days, as required by the Standards, and have tested negative for E.coli since, says Ian.

'We're also required by the Ministry of Health to measure and report to the Waikato District Health Board on our water sampling and testing from the treatment plants, reservoirs and from within the water supply networks.”

The frequency of testing for E. coli ranges from fortnightly to daily, depending on the population served. Testing frequencies are defined in the Drinking Water Standards and in total, 1424 samples were tested for E. coli across the district last year.

WATER SUPPLY SCHEMES ON THE COROMANDEL

On the Coromandel there are nine urban water supply schemes in Thames, Coromandel, MatarangI, Whitianga, Hahei, Tairua, Pauanui, Onemana and Whangamata, plus two rural water supply schemes in Thames Valley and Matatoki.

The treatment of drinking water varies according to the water source and treatment facility in each community.

This ranges from very limited treatment at Matatoki and Thames Valley to a more sophisticated mixture of chemical dosing, pressure sand filters, UV disinfection and chlorination at other treatment plants.

'In many cases the water is then stored in reservoirs before being supplied via the reticulation network to the consumers,” says Ian.

For more information visit the Thames-Coromandel District Council's website at: www.tcdc.govt.nz/Our-Services/Water-Services