21 Apr 2017

Laboratory testing shows only one of the four reservoirs that supply Governors Bay with water is contaminated with E.coli.

Water coming out of a tap.

Governors Bay residents are advised to boil their water.

“The test results we received this morning indicate Hays 2 reservoir is the only reservoir that has been contaminated,’’ said Christchurch City Council Head of Three Waters & Waste John Mackie.

“The Hays 2 reservoir only services about 30 properties and has been treated with chlorine to kill the E.coli. We are now flushing the pipes that feed those properties with the chlorinated water to make sure that we get rid of all the bugs.’’

Mr Mackie said until the test results showed the water supply was clear of E.coli people in the Governors Bay area should continue to boil water used for drinking, food preparation, utensil washing, brushing teeth or ice making.

“We will be testing the water throughout the weekend and will let residents know as soon as it is safe to drink the water again,’’ Mr Mackie said.

The Council would continue to have water tankers in place at the Governors Bay Hotel and near the Cholmondeley Children's Centre so residents could stock up on drinking water until such time as the boil water notice was lifted.

Bringing water to the boil is sufficient to kill bugs. If you cannot boil water, treat it by adding one teaspoon of household bleach per 10 litres of water and leave for 30 minutes. Use bleach that is non-scented and has no additives.