Current water supply in Te Kaha

The Te Kaha community is currently supplied with reticulated drinking water sourced from two shallow bores located near the banks of the Puremutahuri Stream. The water is then treated at a water treatment plant situated off Parekura Hei Road, before being pumped to a storage reservoir and distributed via the local pipe network. On average, approximately 270,000 litres of water are supplied daily to households and businesses throughout Te Kaha.

What is happening?

Ōpōtiki District Council has allocated funding in its 2024-34 Long-Term Plan to address source water quality and treatment issues that have the potential to impact treated water quality that is supplied to the Te Kaha community drinking water scheme. In response, a dedicated project team has been established to investigate options for a new water source, upgrading/replacing the existing water treatment plant, and consider options for a new reservoir. Together with a new water source, this will improve reliability and resilience, particularly during adverse weather events.

Why the upgrade?

Due to the shallow depth of the wells and their proximity to the stream, the quality of the source water is often affected, particularly during certain times of the year.

During wet weather events, higher levels of suspended sediment in the stream can infiltrate the shallow wells. As a result, small amounts of fine sediment may enter the treatment process. While the water is still treated, these conditions can reduce the effectiveness of certain treatment steps and may occasionally result in slightly cloudy water being supplied to consumers, especially following heavy rainfall.

It's important to note that the water remains safe to drink, with strict monitoring and management processes in place. In the rare event that the safety of the drinking water is compromised, Council may issue a precautionary boil water notice until the issue is resolved.

When will work begin?

Preliminary investigations to assess alternative water source sites were carried out in 2021, including the drilling of exploratory bores near the booster site on Copenhagen Road.

The current work is a continuation of that effort, with further investigations scheduled for November 2025 to assess a potential new source. These investigations will help inform the next stages of the project, which may include the development of a new water treatment plant and production bores.