Latest news with #DerekChamberlain
RNZ News
15-07-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Councillor ‘risking health' by ignoring boil water notice
Southland district councillor Derek Chamberlain says there is nothing wrong with the water coming out of his tap. Photo: LDR/supplied The country's water regulator says a Southland councillor who refuses to boil his tap water could be risking his health. However, councillor Derek Chamberlain is standing by his decision to ignore a local boil water notice despite criticism from Taumata Arowai. Chamberlain made headlines this week for saying he would sooner drink from his compromised Eastern Bush/Otahu Flat network than have Auckland water. The district councillor lives on one of 54 properties in rural Southland which has been under a boil notice since July 2024. Taumata Arowai head of operations Steve Taylor said Chamberlain's decision to ignore the notice was not safe, even though he was using a filter. There were a range of factors affecting a filter's ability to remove microorganisms including type, pore size, and whether it was used in conjunction with other treatments like boiling or UV, Taylor said. "Your councillor may feel that their water is fine to drink, but they may be risking their health." A boil notice has been in place for Eastern Bush/Otahu Flat, north of Tūātapere, since July 2024. Photo: Laura Smith / LDR One of the main issues affecting the Eastern Bush/Otahu Flat supply was turbidity - or cloudiness - which became worse when rain dirtied the Wairaki River. Taylor said high turbidity impacted treatment and indicated a higher risk of protozoa, which the supply did not have a barrier to protect against. Even if the water was visibly clear, it could still contain pathogens which could lead to serious illness, he warned. In response, Chamberlain issued the regulator a challenge "If they're that concerned about it, why don't they come down and do something about it?" he said. "My argument's at Wellington. I mean it's alright for them sitting up there bloody making all the rules, someone's got to pay for it." The boil notice was issued in July 2024 and could be in place until as late as 2027 when the treatment plant is upgraded. On Monday, the council issued a reminder to residents that boiling was still necessary. The notice is the only active one across the entire region. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
RNZ News
14-07-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Councillor says 'nothing wrong' with Eastern Bush water despite boil water notice
The boil water notice was issued just over a year ago on 11 July 2024. Photo: LDR/supplied A Southland district councillor living under a boil water notice says he's not bothering with it because "there's nothing wrong" with what's coming out of the tap. But the council behind the notice has issued a fresh reminder to residents that the water must be boiled before consumption. Local Democracy Reporting put questions to Southland's three territorial authorities asking how many boil water notices were currently in place. The answer was just one - in the Southland District Council administered area of Eastern Bush/Otahu Flat, north of Tūātapere. Councillor Derek Chamberlain lives in one of the 54 properties affected, but says he still drinks the water without boiling it first. "I'd sooner drink our water than bloody Auckland water. There's nothing wrong with it," he said. A key factor was the turbidity - or cloudiness - of water coming out of the Wairaki River, which Chamberlain said was originally a supply for livestock that people had later tapped into. The river became dirty when it rained, and the council was not able to effectively filter the water due to hardware issues. Derek Chamberlain. Photo: LDR/supplied Chamberlain testified that discolouration was a factor, but said there was no issue with the water which he ran through a filter. "People aren't getting sick or dying or anything in Eastern Bush, I can assure you." The notice was issued just over a year ago on 11 July 2024 and will likely remain in place until 2026 or 2027 when the treatment plant is upgraded. On Monday, the council reminded residents on social media that the notice remained in place because of potential contamination from flood water. That meant there was a risk of disease-causing bacteria, protozoa and other contaminants. Water "must be boiled" for drinking, preparing food and personal use such as brushing teeth, it said. The notice is an outlier in the region. Gore District Council had not issued one since the September 2023 flood event, which it did out of precaution. Invercargill City Council had no record of a notice being issued in recent decades. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
