Fri 27 Oct 17.
Water turned off for new Raetihi water main
Raetihi will be without water for up to six hours from 12 midnight on Wednesday 15 November through to 6.00am on Thursday 16 November while a new treated water line is installed between the reservoir and the township.
The new pipeline is part of upgrading and safeguarding the town's water supply.
Council's Environmental Manager Anne-Marie Westcott said that Council is asking people to prepare for the water outage and take a few simple steps to help minimize any potential disruption.
When the water is back on residents are advised to run an outside or cold laundry tap for a minute to clear any sediment that may have been stirred up in the pipe network, she said.
People should also ensure that they have enough stored water to get them through this period.
While the water is off there will be no tap water for drinking, washing, laundry or flushing the toilet.
Although this is a well-planned, routine maintenance job, we would recommend that people treat it as if it is an emergency situation and have enough stored water on hand to last 24 hours in-line with civil defence recommendations.
Ms. Westcott added that when the water is turned back on a few people might also find their water looks milky from being filled with air bubbles.
The air bubbles are created when the system is re-pressurized from air trapped in the water pipes.
If you have milky looking water and leave a glass fill on the bench you will see the water clears as the air bubble dissolve over about a minute or so.
The water is treated and is 100% safe to drink, she said.
A self-serve water tanker will be parked in town near the 4 Square for anyone who needs it during the water outage period.
If anyone has any special needs and is concerned about the water being off they are asked to give either Council's Raetihi (385 4447) or Ohakune (385 8364) office a call to discuss their issue.
Ms. Westcott added that people would soon start seeing work on Raetihi's new Water Treatment Plant getting underway in earnest.
Contractors have started on the ground works for the foundations, she said.
Raetihi's new Water Treatment Plant has a target completion date of June 2018.
*End*
