Latest news with #RichardConingham
Scoop
7 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Interim Treatment Solution Found For Havelock Water Supply
Marlborough District Council will install a temporary ultraviolet (UV) treatment plant in Havelock, and once installed, lift the boil water advisory recently issued for the town. Mayor Nadine Taylor said it was great news. 'I'm very pleased to say that we now have a solution that means we'll be able to lift the boil water advisory in two months' time, rather than in three years' time.' 'It has been a difficult couple of weeks for the people of Havelock, particularly for food, hospitality and accommodation businesses. They have my sympathy and I thank them for their patience and understanding while we worked through this.' 'I'd like to acknowledge Council's Infrastructure and Services engineers for their focus on finding a temporary solution to see us through until the new water treatment plant is built.' Richard Coningham, Group Manager Infrastructure and Services, said: 'We aim to install the temporary plant within eight weeks, assuming good weather and no other issues. It requires earthworks to build a platform to support a large container housing the UV equipment, which will sit next to our existing chlorine treatment plant.' 'We also have to upgrade the power supply and Marlborough Lines has confirmed it has the equipment in stock and should be able to work within our timeframe.' 'Costs are expected to be in the range of $750K, some of which will be recoverable through the reuse of equipment for the new permanent plant to be opened in 2028.' The budget set aside in Council's Long Term Plan for Havelock's permanent plant is $14M. 'The Water Services Authority Taumata Arowai has advised that Council needs to draft a new Water Safety Plan to show how we are managing risk using the temporary treatment plant. We expect this to be completed at the same time as the plant installation, over the next eight weeks,' Mr Coningham said. 'If all goes well, we'll be able to lift the boil water advisory by mid-September. In the meantime people should continue to boil water used for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and washing food. Advice on this is available on the Council website.'
RNZ News
21-07-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Havelock residents told to boil water as council seeks solution
Photo: AFP The Marlborough District Council is considering temporarily treating Havelock's water supply with ultraviolet light after the regulator issued a boil water notice. Taumata Arowai issued the notice last Wednesday as a precautionary measure due to the risk of parasitic contamination. A new treatment plant was due to be completed by 2028, however, if a temporary solution was found the notice could be lifted well ahead of that date. Council assets and services manager Richard Coningham said the risk of contamination in Havelock had not changed, but the drinking water requirements in the Water Services Act 2021 were more stringent. Water supplies in New Zealand required a multi-barrier approach - a range of processes, procedures and tools to protect and treat water. "Although chlorine is used in the Havelock supply, it doesn't protect from the risk - however small - of protozoa getting into the supply," Coningham said. Protozoa are single-celled parasites, like cryptosporidium and giardia, that make can make people sick. They can be removed from water with filters or inactivated using UV light so they do not pose a health risk. People in Havelock were being told to boil water used for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and washing food. Coningham said the council was working through a number of options and planned to have a solution by the end of the week. The new $14 million water treatment plant planned for Havelock would use a multi-barrier approach, including filtration, chlorine and UV. "The plant upgrade has been planned for some years and budget is set aside in the council's Long Term Plan. However it has been difficult to secure a new site, with few land options available in the town or nearby," Coningham said. The council had now found a site and was planning and designing a new treatment plant, for completion in early 2028. Land purchase negotiations were in the final stages and a new road would be built to provide access. Construction tendering would follow.
Scoop
16-07-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Boil Water Advisory Issued For Havelock
Marlborough District Council has issued a boil water advisory for residents and businesses using the town water supply in Havelock, following a request from the Water Services Regulator - Taumata Arowai. 'As a precautionary measure, we are issuing a boil water advisory due to the risk of protozoa entering the Havelock supply,' Richard Coningham, Assets and Services Manager said. He said the advisory was released in response to the requirements in the Water Services Act 2021, which is regulated through the Water Services Authority - Taumata Arowai. 'The risk of protozoa contamination in Havelock has not changed, it's just that New Zealand's requirements on the provision of drinking water are becoming more stringent.' Information would be shared with residents via a letter drop and through Council's online and print communications channels. Hospitality businesses would receive a phone call from Council's Environmental Health team. 'People can boil water used for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and washing food. 'Although chlorine is used in the Havelock supply, it doesn't protect from the risk - however small - of protozoa getting into the supply.' Protozoa are single-celled parasites, like cryptosporidium and giardia, that can make people sick. They can be removed from water with filters or inactivated using ultraviolet (UV) light so that they don't pose a health risk. 'Water supplies in New Zealand require a multi-barrier approach - a range of processes, procedures and tools to protect and treat water,' Mr Coningham said. 'A new $14M water treatment plant is planned for Havelock which will use a multi-barrier approach, including filtration, chlorine and UV. The plant upgrade has been planned for some years and budget is set aside in the Council's Long Term Plan. However it has been difficult to secure a new site, with few land options available in the town or nearby.' 'Council has now found a site and is planning and designing a new treatment plant, for completion in early 2028. Land purchase negotiations are in the final stages and a new road will also be built to provide access. Tendering for the construction of the plant will follow.'
