Water supply: think before you drink

Our environmental health team was recently advised of a small number of water samples from a private supply in Tākaka that tested positive for Escherichia coli (E. coli).

Follow-up tests have been carried out and so far indicate no escalation of contamination.

This coincided with observations that there seemed to be an increase in gastrointestinal illness in the Tākaka community.

A check with the local medical centre and childcare facilities shows there are no more cases than usual for this time of year, and these are not related to drinking water.

However, this is a good reminder to residents who take water from their own private bores to ensure that the water consumed from those bores by their household is safe.

Residents abstracting water from shallow aquifers which are vulnerable to contamination have a responsibility to ensure that they have adequate water quality treatment systems in place to ensure that their water is safe from potential sources of contamination.

It is also important landowners know activities on their properties can have an impact on the water quality in the underground aquifer where the water comes from.

If you have a bore on your property, please ensure contaminated water cannot get back down into the bore either through flooding or backflow.

Contamination can include stagnant water near the well, localised seepage into the well, animal faecal contamination, septic tank seepage, runoff/seepage following rainfall into the well.

Even if the water from your bore looks clean and smells fine, contamination cannot normally be noticed by just looking at it or smelling it. That’s why it is important to ensure that you have a water quality treatment system in place which will ensure that the water is safe to drink. There are a number of treatment options, ranging from boiling through to filtering, chemical or UV treatments, available to people.

If you are on a private water supply and you have concerns about your drinking water safety, we recommend getting your water tested, check your filtration system is maintained, and consider boiling your water.

If you need any advice about water quality from private water supplies, please do not hesitate to contact us and ask to speak to an environmental health officer, or see the household water supplies guide on the Te Whatu Ora website. Or on the HealthEd website healthed.govt.nz search under: Secure Groundwater Bores and Wells for Safe Household Water, and Water collection tanks and safe household water - HE10148.

If you are feeling unwell or are showing symptoms of sickness, notify your GP or phone Healthline 0800 611 116.

Tennis Club needs your help

Bulk fuel delivery you can depend on

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Golden Bay’s successful tennis club needs your help to keep going.

Located at Park Avenue and part of the Rec Centre’s sporting hub, the club has around 60 members, mostly kids and youth, who access coaching twice a week during the summer months, including one session with a professional coach once a fortnight. The club provides support with travel to tournaments and coaching over the Hill. This is all accessible thanks to grants and funding applied for every year.

They're now at a point where they need to look for new funding ventures, grants, and fundraising, to keep them going and increase their membership numbers, while keeping fees as low as possible. This will allow them to provide more opportunities to members, renew aging gear, and improve facilities.

They’re desperately looking for more committee members to achieve all that and more. They need new blood, new ideas, and enthusiasm to drive and push towards these goals. The AGM is on 20 June, 6.30pm, at the Community Room, Rec Park Centre and everyone is welcome. All positions are available, but most of all, people are needed to take on the three most important roles: secretary, treasurer, and grants officer.