E coli still in Hutt drinking water leading authorities to continue chlorination.
Chlorine is to continue being added to Lower Hutt’s water supply as a precautionary safety measure after E coli contamination was detected.
The Hutt City Council said the chlorination would continue while investigations into the source of the recent positive E coli test results were under way, and emphasised that the water remains safe to drink.
A sample from a bore in the Waterloo wellfield returned a positive E coli test result on April 12 – the third positive result in five months from water sourced from the Waiwhetu aquifer.
* Chlorine added to water in Lower Hutt as precautionary measure * Wellington Water to stop chlorination of water in Lower Hutt * Prime minister talks down mandatory water chlorination * CuriousCity: How Wellington’s drinking water is kept free of contamination Recent water quality testing across the aquifer had shown an increasing amount of bacteria activity, which had resulted in the council’s decision to continue chlorinating the water.
We immediately chlorinated Lower Hutt’s water supply in response to the recent positive E coli test and we’ll continue to chlorinate while we investigate the source of these positive results".
Lower Hutt mayor Ray Wallace said safe drinking water was of the utmost importance.
"We know many residents really value access to unchlorinated aquifer water but public safety will always be our number one priority.
Wellington Water acting chief executive Mark Kinvig said the cause of the positive test results was not known yet, but it was possible it was related to the November 2016 Kaikoura quake.
– Stuff