Cracks in water safety

The Nelson region has generally improved its drinking water quality, but has failed to comply in certain areas with new Ministry of Health testing measures.

The Ministry of Health's annual review of drinking water quality shows nearly one in four or 712,000 New Zealanders were supplied with water in 2007-08 that either was substandard or untested.

In the Tasman district, the number of areas complying with the tougher standards has increased from 59 per cent in the 2006-07 test to 82 per cent in the 2007-08 test. However, in more rural areas with private water supplies, the results were worse.

Tasman District Council utility asset engineer Kim Arnold said the council did not have any immediate concerns about the region's water quality. "It's not that the water quality is worse; it just means we are trying to meet new standards that the ministry are imposing."

Mr Arnold said although the review was a good guide, it still was not perfect. "You can take a sample that does not have a bug in it, but that does not mean there is no bug in there. It is a good guide but it needs to be understood."

Some of the areas highlighted in the review were Hope and Brightwater, which came back with measures of E.coli and lead. Several schools including Central Takaka School, Lake Rotoiti School and St Peter Chanel School did not have adequate testing measures for the review.

Nationally, of the 590 schools with their own water supplies, 83 per cent had unsafe levels of bacteria, and none was treated to a high enough level to protect children from tummy bugs caused by giardia and cryptosporidium infections.

Nearly 30 per cent were not even tested.

Ministry of Health principal public health engineer Paul Prendergast said E.coli in the water did not necessarily make people sick, although some E.coli could.

"[The review] is just telling you you've got faecal matter in the waterway and if that faecal matter is from a sick animal with a waterborne disease then that could pass through to humans."

The Nelson City Council continued its 100 per cent compliance rate from the last review.

Council environmental monitoring co-ordinator Paul Sheldon said the city's water all ran from the reticulation system, which produced water at a very high quality.

"So the result of the review is not a surprise really."

- With NZPA

- © Fairfax NZ News

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