Council questions ‘impossible’ drinking water standards
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Chlorine exemption applications have been withdrawn by the Waimakariri District Council due to ‘‘impossible’’ drinking water standards.
Mayor Dan Gordon said he has raised concerns with Local Government Minister Simeon Brown about the Water Services Act’s drinking water standards, which are imposed by national regulator Taumata Arowai.
‘‘In my conversation with the new minister I raised that it is almost impossible to achieve an exemption under the new standards, so maybe it is something that needs to reviewed,’’ he said at a council meeting on Wednesday.
The council voted to withdraw its applications for chlorine exemptions for the Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Oxford urban and Waikuku Beach drinking water supplies for now, and to write to Brown asking him to reconsider the standards.
An application for the Cust water supply was declined last year, while the Woodend-Pegasus exemption application is still being considered.
Three Waters manager Kalley Simpson said the council would have a better idea of what was needed to achieve chlorine exemptions once it had received feedback from the Woodend-Pegasus application.
‘‘We believe our applications in their current form would be declined, based on the Cust decision, so we need to withdraw and look to resubmit when we have done the necessary work.’’
He said initial estimates suggested it would cost up to $100 million to bring the six urban supplies up to an acceptable standard to receive a chlorine exemption.
The Rakaia Huts drinking water supply in the Selwyn district has received a chlorine exemption for five years, with conditions, Simpson said.
The council opted to chlorinate all of its drinking water supplies last year, after the Cust application was declined.
But Gordon said the council had not given up.
The Waimakariri district was one of the last to chlorinate its water supplies and the had long believed it had ‘‘gold standard’’ drinking water, which was fed to deep underground aquifers, Gordon said.
‘‘We have pushed back as strongly as we could and it is clear we are going to have to do more work to comply, but we are not giving up.’’
‘‘I don’t like the position we are in, but we are obligated to follow the law.
‘‘In order to achieve exemptions, the bar is incredibly high, so we need the new Government to consider whether that is acceptable.’’
Health experts recommend chlorine to kill harmful natural organisms that can grow in water, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites, and to make it safe to drink.
World Health Organisation studies show the small amount of chlorine needed to treat drinking water is safe for people.
Chlorine added when the water leaves the treatment plant continues to protect the drinking water by killing bacteria that enters the system, Taumata Arowai says on its website.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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