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Chlorine exemption applications have been withdrawn by the Waimakariri District Council due to ‘‘impossible’’ drinking water standards.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.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
-
4.6% Second half of November
-
43.6% 1st December
-
17.5% A week before Christmas
-
33.2% Whenever you wish
-
1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.