Whirinaki residents rely on fresh water reservoir

Residents in Whirinaki [north of Hastings] are relying on a reservoir filled with fresh water after their bore supply water was affected by sea water.

Huge sea swells last week, at a level not seen before by the residents, were the cause, said Hastings District Council acting planning and regulatory manager Brett Chapman.

Council staff are monitoring the regular supply and as soon as salt levels drops back to normal the supply can be reconnected.

If the levels do not drop by today, residents will be asked to conserve water to extend the length of time the reservoir supply will last. "Elevated salt levels are not an immediate health issue, however we are taking a precautionary approach to ensure that any impacts are minimised," Mr Chapman said.

Council is investigating options, including refilling the reservoir with fresh water or connecting to an alternative supply, should the salt levels not drop as quickly as expected.

The first notification of a salty taste in the water was received on Sunday.

Council’s after hours telephone staff were advised so they could respond to residents’ questions.

The swells that caused the problem were reported to have run very high up into the Esk River estuary and caused a gravel build up at the mouth of the river, trapping sea water upstream.

That gravel had since been cleared by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, and Hastings council staff said that clearing work and forecast rain should remedy the problem.

"This is the first time that this supply has been affected in this way and we will be reviewing our operational monitoring so the bores can be switched off should sea swells of this size occur again," Mr Chapman said.

Diane Joyce
Communications Manager
Hastings District Council

4 October 2017

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