The chlorination of Reefton’s water supply
As a large water supply, Reefton is required to meet drinking water legislative requirements. This requires the supply to have residual disinfection (chlorine) unless an exemption is granted by Taumata Arowai.
Due to the aged pipes and high leakage rates within the Reefton reticulation (pipe network), it is extremely unlikely that Reefton would be granted an exemption.
Council is planning for the system to be activated by early June. This will occur in four phases:
- Flushing – pushing water through the pipes to clear them of build-up of slime and any metal deposits that may exist. This happens regularly now but will increase prior to implementation. This is expected to start in April 2023.
- Installation and Commissioning – installing and testing new equipment at the existing Water Treatment Plant.
- Operations – trialling the equipment for short periods of time to gauge its effectiveness and identify any issues.
- Go live – permanent chlorination of the Reefton water supply.
Preparation for chlorination is expected to take 6-8 weeks.
Why chlorinate?
Chlorination has been used safely and effectively all over the world for around 120 years as a preventative treatment to avoid contamination of water supplies. It keeps millions of people all round the world safe from waterborne disease, including the majority of New Zealanders
We want to make sure the water is always safe to drink to everyone in our community and to avoid the need for boil water notices.
It’s important to note that chlorination is a legal requirement and no further consultation regarding whether or not to chlorinate will be undertaken.
You can read more on why in our frequently asked questions below or print out the full list of FAQs here.
How will Council chlorinate the Reefton water supply?
A new, automatic dosing system is being installed at the Reefton water treatment plant. The dosing system will provide a constant, low dose of chlorine into the water system that supplies Reefton with drinking water.
From the reservoir, the chlorinated water flows through a network of pipes prior to reaching your tap. This provides plenty of time for the chlorine to inactivate (stop from growing) any bacteria which may be in the water.
There will be chlorine monitors in both the treatment plant and reticulation (pipe network) which will inform the dosage rate. WestReef staff will also have a portable chlorine monitor to read levels throughout the reticulation. Westport is chlorinated and following Reefton, Punakaiki will also be chlorinated.
