Temporary chlorination for Riccarton water
Water in parts of Riccarton and Addington is being temporarily chlorinated.
It comes after regular testing revealed the presence of several total coliforms, an indicator of bacterial contamination.
The indicator bacteria are not harmful, but their presence showed there was a
pathway for other contaminants, such as E coli, to get into the supply.
Christchurch City Council head of three waters Helen Beaumont said the chlorination began on Thursday as a precautionary measure while investigations were done to determine the root cause of the contamination.
“Being able to quickly activate chlorination when there is an actual or potential contamination event is an important part of our water safety toolkit," she said in a statement.
“Ongoing testing will be carried out to help us understand the cause of contamination, and to ensure the chlorine is doing its job. A low level of chlorine will be remain in place while we carry out work to assess any ongoing risk to the water supply."
Beaumont said people in Riccarton and parts of Addington may smell or taste chlorine in their water.
The chlorine was harmless but if residents were concerned about the taste, they could keep drinking water in a jug in the fridge. The chlorine taste would dissipate naturally over a few hours.
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️