The Marlborough District Council is considering temporary ultraviolet (UV) treatment systems for Havelock’s troubled water supply.
A boil water advisory was issued for the town last week, following a directive from the Water Services Authority Taumata Arowai that the town’s water supply couldn’t inactivate protozoa, a type of parasite which could make people sick.
If the temporary solution proved viable, the notice could be lifted within weeks or months — well ahead of the town’s permanent water treatment plant, which wasn’t due to be completed until 2028.
“We are working through a number of options and council engineers want to determine whether we have a workable solution by the end of this week,” said infrastructure and services manager Richard Coningham.
“In the meantime, I suggest residents and businesses in Havelock hold off and do not invest in their own UV treatment system until council has assessed these options. They should also continue to boil their water for now.”
Coningham said an update would be provided no later than this Friday, July 25.
