Whanganui drinking water 100 percent compliant with national standards

Published on 17 September 2019

Whanganui District Council’s water treatment team has been acknowledged by the MidCentral District Health Board’s Central North Island Drinking Water Assessment Unit.

Assessors at the Palmerston North Branch of the Unit recognised the hard work of Whanganui’s staff and water treatment plant operators “throughout the 2018/19 year in working toward delivering a safe supply of drinking water to the supply communities.”

 The Unit’s assessment of Whanganui’s drinking-water quality for the 1 July 2018-30 June 2019 period found that the supply continues to be 100 percent compliant with national drinking-water standards.

The Council’s Chief Executive, Kym Fell, says, “The ongoing high level of compliance with national drinking-water standards is testament to the hard work of Council infrastructure and water treatment staff.

“Council staff are extremely diligent in maintaining the high standard of our drinking-water. They take their responsibility towards the people of Whanganui extremely seriously,” says Mr Fell.

Whanganui’s reticulated drinking water supply is classed as ‘secure bore’ as it comes from deep aquifers with a low risk of contamination. The water quality and systems also have a low risk of contamination.

To ensure Whanganui’s water remains compliant, the supply is tested every month. In addition, the water supply is continuously monitored at Westmere Reservoir and sampled within the rural and urban reticulation. To ensure monitoring of drinking-water quality is to a consistent standard, water is sampled within the reticulation every fifth day for temperature (on arrival), total coliforms, E. coli, and free available chlorine.

The information in the Central North Island Drinking Water Assessment Unit’s report will be used in the annual Ministry of Health report on drinking water.