Cyclone Gabrielle Water Information

All council water supplies are now safe for drinking in the wake of the floods. 

• Main urban water supply (serving Bridge Pā, Pakipaki, Flaxmere, Hastings, Havelock North): Safe for drinking.
• Clive: Safe for drinking
• Waimārama: Safe for drinking
• Haumoana/Te Awanga: Safe for drinking
• Waipātiki: Safe for drinking
• Whakatū: Safe for drinking
• Waipatu: Safe for drinking
• Ōmāhu: Safe for drinking
• Te Pōhue: Safe for drinking
• Esk ridge: Safe for drinking.
• Esk Hills (including Hill Road, Seafield Road and Lopdell Lane):Safe for drinking
• Whirinaki: Safe for drinking

Please note: If taking water from the tanks and tankers placed across the region we recommend boiling first as a precaution due to the risk of this water having degraded over time sitting stagnant in storage containers.

Private water supplies

If you rely on a roof-fed tank or bore for your water supply (that is not Council’s urban supply) please boil your drinking water as a precaution. Your supply may have been impacted by flood waters and/or wind-blown debris. This situation is unknown as we are unable to test all bores, but we would advise you to use caution.  Upon returning to normal operations it's advised to get your water tested to ensure it safe to drink.

I can’t boil water, what can I do to make it drinkable?

• If you don't have running water and you don’t have bottled water, you can use water from your hot water cylinder. Spa and swimming pool water can be used for bathing.
• If you do not have power to boil water (1 min rolling boil), then purifying tablets or bleach can be added to ensure its safety. Add 5 drops of household bleach per litre of water (or half a teaspoon for 10 litres) and leave for 30 minutes. Do not use bleaches that contain added scent or perfume, surfactants, or other additives – they can make people sick.

Advice for drinking water supplies after a flood

Taumata Arowai has prepared the following advice for drinking water supplies after a flood.

Flood affected septic tank disposal

Hastings District Council inspections and cleaning of a number of septic tanks in various locations across the district has shown the impact of flooding on onsite wastewater systems to be minor. At such sites where silt and sludge has NOT accumulated in these systems, authorised contractors can take the waste to East Clive Wastewater Treatment Plant to assist property owners in getting back into their homes.

The following contractors are approved to operate and dispose of septic waste at East Clive (starting Tuesday 21 March 2023):

• Beard's Environmental Ltd | (06) 879 5800 |  dan@beardsenvironmental.co.nz
• T Flanders Waste Ltd | (06) 877 9075  | office@flanderswaste.co.nz
• Davies Waste Dispatch | (06) 870 0339 | despatch@davieswaste.co.nz
• Waste Management NZ Ltd | (06) 879 8400 | smends@wastemanagement.co.nz
• INO Complete Ltd | (06) 877 7341 | gordonanddeb@xtra.co.nz
• Kenneth Davidson | (06) 878 3549 | kenneth@kleercontractors.co.nz
• Comac Industrial Services Ltd | (06) 835 5506 | comac1@xtra.co.nz

Where contractors encounter systems that have been badly affected, they will be unable to clean these tanks out for disposal at East Clive. Council will work with those property owners on a solution for their waste.

Property owners are advised to contact their insurer to seek advice on cover for the cost of this cleaning.

For further information contact 06 871 5000.