Water  |  25 Aug 2022

The water supply to Riccarton and parts of Addington will be temporarily chlorinated after regular testing revealed the presence of a number of total coliforms, an indicator of bacterial contamination.

The indicator bacteria aren’t harmful, but their presence shows there is a pathway for other contaminants, such as E.coli, to get into the water supply.

Map showing the areas of Riccarton and Addington where water will be temporarily chlorinated from today.

Christchurch City Council Head of Three Waters Helen Beaumont says the water supply will be temporarily chlorinated from today as a precautionary measure.

This will ensure the water supply is safe while investigations take place to determine the root cause of the contamination.

“Being able to quickly activate chlorination when there is an actual or potential contamination event is an important part of our water safety toolkit.

“Ongoing testing will be carried out to help us understand the cause of contamination, and to ensure the chlorine is doing its job. A low level of chlorine will be remain in place while we carry out work to assess any ongoing risk to the water supply.  

“People living in Riccarton and parts of Addington may smell or taste chlorine in their water. The chlorine is harmless but if residents are concerned about the taste, they can keep drinking water in a jug in the fridge. The chlorine taste will dissipate naturally over a few hours,” Ms Beaumont says.