PHOTO/FILE
MARCUS ANSELM
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When it comes to water, Martinborough has had a 2019 to forget.
A year of water troubles in the town will end with an outdoor water ban.
The town’s last remaining bore in use was crippled by equipment failure on Monday night.
South Wairarapa District Council has urged residents not to use water and called in specialists Wellington Water to make an urgent replacement.
Mayor Alex Beijen said on Tuesday WW and the council were addressing infrastructure replacement “as fast as possible”.
“This is unfortunate timing of an equipment failure.”
Work has been intensive across the district since WW took over managing maintenance in October.
But this setback is just the latest issue to plague the town.
Positive E.coli samples earlier in the year led to boil water notices, flushing of the town’s water system, SWDC voting to bring forward plans for a manganese extraction plant from 2021 to the 2019/20 financial year, and permanent chlorination of the water supply.
On November 26 summer water restrictions were put in place early due to water shortages, and on Tuesday outdoor use of water was banned.
Beijen said it was “essential that the community immediately responds to this pressing need to conserve water”.
“If the township uses more water than we can supply from the low manganese bore, we will have to use the other bores as well.
“That could mean the town’s drinking water becoming discoloured.
“Although safe to drink, the water could lose its clarity due to the reaction between manganese and chlorine – we want to avoid discoloured water if we can.”
Contracts have been signed for the installation of the manganese extraction plant which will help keep water clear.
This would help in the bid for all four of the town supply bores, set up near the Ruamahanga River, to be used.
Wainuioru water scheme is no better, weve been on a boil water notice for the last 4 weeks.