Safer drinks are on the way for Pātea with a rebuild of the town’s water treatment plant about halfway complete.
The $6 million upgrade will ensure the South Taranaki town’s drinking water meets rising standards set by Taumata Arowai, the national water regulator.
Last spring, Pātea was under a boil-water notice for six weeks after Taumata Arowai declared disinfection treatment was at risk of contamination.
South Taranaki District Council fitted an ultraviolet filter as a temporary fix.
The new treatment system includes biologically activated carbon filters, copper and carbon dioxide dosing systems, UV disinfection, chlorine gas disinfection and storage, and improved filter cleaning and monitoring systems.
STDC’s infrastructure group manager Herbert Denton, said Pātea’s particular problem was naturally occurring ammonia in the groundwater.
The ammonia eats up the chlorine used to disinfect the water, leaving none to deal with bugs entering the system through a leak or backflow.
“That residual chlorine level is there to kill any bacteria that might be there or that might increase as a result of a break in the line, for instance.”
“Because of the high level of ammonia, we can’t meet the chlorine level required in the far ends of the network without having high levels of byproducts.”
STDC senior project engineer Jayson Sawal said contractors had to move underground pipes to build a small processing plant and a pair of filter tanks.
Although many Pātea residents felt the water was safe, Sawal said the council had to meet rising standards.
“This project will ensure safe drinking quality for the community, so yeah, it’s an important part of the water supply system of the town.”
Water is due to flow from the new treatment plant by the end of the year.
LDR is local body journalism funded by RNZ and NZ on Air
