It’s all about the water in the Maniototo, with four towns’ drinking supply now affected by rainfall and snow melt, and residents on boil water and conserve notices.

The Central Otago District Council announced on Friday night that it was having to use reservoir supplies in Ranfurly, until the water was clear enough to continue producing treated drinking water.

Five hours later on Friday 11pm, Omakau and Ophir were put on a boil water notice, along with Ranfurly, and the treatment plan was unable to produce compliant clean drinking water.

Then on Monday morning, Naseby residents were put on a conserve water notice as the council announced it was having to use stored water supplied while the treatment plant was sorted.

But there was light at the end of the tunnel, with work also underway in Ranfurly and Patearoa on major upgrades to the water treatment plants, with both projects scheduled for completion in December 2025.

The $4.2 million budget from the Annual and Long Term Plan aimed to address ongoing issues with protozoa treatment, to ensure compliance with New Zealand Drinking Water Quality Assurance requirements and provide more reliable, safe drinking water.

Capital projects programme manager Patrick Keenan said council was committed to closely monitoring the Patearoa and Ranfurly drinking water supplies while those upgrades were being undertaken.

Council staff also said at its recent monthly meeting that the Ranfurly and Patearoa communities would be subject to ongoing boil water notices while the upgrades were taking place - if they felt the community was at risk.

The water source and treatment plant in Patearoa

Meanwhile, a critical water infrastructure upgrade would also soon be underway in Alexandra, with HEB Construction awarded the $1.33 million contract.

The council has prioritised replacing ageing water pipes in areas that were nearing the end of their useful life, to ensure a more reliable water supply for residents while future-proofing Alexandra's water network.

The nearly 100-year-old steel pipeline would be replaced, connecting Bridge Hill with Alexandra’s water network, as well as the 70-year-old Enterprise Street pipeline would be replaced with modern pipes to eliminate water discolouration and reduce maintenance costs.

CODC Mayor Tamah Alley said the investment represented a significant step forward in addressing the district's infrastructure challenges.

"These upgrades are important for ensuring reliable water supply to our schools, early childhood centres and residential properties. The Bridge Hill Rising Main has served our community for nearly a century; now it's time to invest in modern infrastructure that will serve Alexandra for generations to come."

For more information on the latest water updates click here under Weather & Reports and you'll find Water Notices