The Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai has directed the Ōpaki Water Supply Association to chlorinate the drinking water supply by 8 October 2026. This follows repeated evidence of E. coli contamination posing a serious threat to public health.
A Boil Water Notice remains in place and the water must be sampled and tested weekly.
The Authority says New Zealanders have a right to safe drinking water and must be protected if their water supply poses a potential risk to their health.
“All water suppliers have a duty to ensure the drinking water they provide is safe,” explains Authority’s Head of Operations, Steve Taylor.
“We understand that some people would prefer not to have their water chlorinated.
“Unfortunately for those reliant on the Ōpaki supply, chlorine is necessary to protect the community.”
“Chlorine is a safe, simple, inexpensive fix. It’s easy to access, affordable and effective against most micro-organisms. And it’s been used to help disinfect community drinking water supplies for over 120 years,” Taylor says.
It is the Water Services Authority’s job to make sure suppliers are keeping communities safe. When the Ōpaki supply was found to be contaminated on 10 September, after a sample taken the day before was confirmed positive for E. coli, the Authority was notified.
A boil water advisory was issued to the Ōpaki supply consumers on 12 September, and it remains in place.
Contaminants in the water can make a lot of people sick, quickly. Young children, pregnant people, older people and people with weakened immune symptoms can suffer severe symptoms. Illnesses like giardiasis, which causes gastroenteritis, can spread through households rapidly.
Boiling tap water kills the micro-organisms that can cause illness and the Authority is urging Ōpaki consumers to comply with the Boil Water Notice while chlorination gets underway.