Thu 30 Jan 20
Ruapehu District Council is reassuring Waimarino communities that their water and wastewater plants all have back-up generators and operations will not be affected by Transpower's planned electricity outages on Sunday 9 February (7am-7pm) in the Raetihi area and Sunday 16 February (9am-4pm) around Waiouru.
Council services normally open on Sunday affected by the 9 February outage such as the Raetihi and Ohakune pools, the Ohakune i-SITE and the Waimarino Transfer Station will be closed that day.
Emergency Management Officer Nick Watson said that although Council's water services will not be affected people should be planning how to get through this period.
Anyone needing an electric pump to have water should ensure they store enough water for drinking and cooking before the power goes off with the World Health Organisation recommending a minimum of 30L per person per day for this, he said..
"People who are reliant on medical support equipment should ensure they are registered with their electricity retailer. If possible arrange to stay with whanau or friends outside the outage area.
Other things to consider are ensuring that you have enough petrol in the car and that you park outside if your vehicle is garaged with an electric door.
Use the BBQ for cooking food but do this outside.
To keep food fresh or frozen keep the fridge closed as much as possible. If kept closed a freezer shouldn't defrost for around 24 hours and consider having a chilly bin full of ice for keeping regularly accessed items like milk cool. If frozen food does thaw do not re-freeze.
Have a battery powered radio to keep yourself informed and a good torch for lighting in the unlikely event the outages extend beyond the planned timeframe.
If businesses or households want to consider using a generator they can be useful for running a single appliance such as a fridge/freezer for a period however larger generators to run a whole house or business need to be connected by a registered electrician. Appropriate advice should be sought on this.
For more advice and resources see online at www.getready.govt.nz or https://www.transpower.co.nz/keeping-you-connected/outages/planned-outages.
If people are wanting specific information about the outages they should contact Transpower on 04 590 7000 or email [email protected]
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