810 days ago

Council plans to become class 1 water supplier, bypass treatment rules

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

Christchurch’s water supply technically leaves 170,000 people at risk of exposure to protozoa, but the city council’s head of Three Waters says residents shouldn’t worry and it has a plan.

The latest update comes as mayor Phil Mauger says a representative from Taumata Arowai, the national water regulator, has agreed to attend an upcoming Christchurch City Council meeting.

Brent Smith, the council’s head of Three Waters, said instead of putting protozoa treatment barriers into its water supply (as requested by Taumatua Arowai, following the recent cryptosporidium outbreak in Queenstown), the council planned to become a class 1 supplier. Reaching the threshold of class 1 status was not achievable for all of the council’s water sources, but could be for most, he said.

Most of Christchurch’s water comes from aquifers (an underground water source). If the city drew that water from a depth of 30m or more, it could meet the water regulator’s class 1 requirements and would not require a UV treatment barrier.

Read reporter Sinead Gill's full story here.

More messages from your neighbours
3 hours ago

Poll: Do you set New Year’s resolutions?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

🎉 2026 is almost here!

We’re curious ... how do you welcome it?
Do you set resolutions, follow special traditions, or just go with the flow?

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Do you set New Year’s resolutions?
  • 0% Yes! New Year, New Me
    0% Complete
  • 33.3% Yes - but I rarely stick to them
    33.3% Complete
  • 66.7% Nah - not for me
    66.7% Complete
3 votes
7 days ago

Poll: Is it ok to regift something that you have been given?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

🎁 Holiday Gift Chat!

Do you ever regift?
What’s your take on asking for a receipt if a gift doesn’t fit?

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Is it ok to regift something that you have been given?
  • 78.7% Yes! It's better to regift what I don't need
    78.7% Complete
  • 21.3% No. It's the thought and effort that matters
    21.3% Complete
1224 votes
12 hours ago

Response to regifting presents

Gordon from Halswell

My mind tends to wander:
I do not see any problem with regifting it back to the person who gave it, they obviously liked it. In fact, that might work out well as you buy the present you want, then gift it to someone you know who will gift it back.
Perfect, no decision needs to be made about Xmas presents