Taranaki Civil Defence Emergency Management Group

Event: Ex Cyclone Gita

Media release no: 4

Date/Time: 22 February 10.10am

Description of situation

• All equipment for the pipe repair has arrived on site and NPDC is hard at work trying to fix the main water supply pipe near Hydro road, north of New Plymouth.

• The repair crew will be working 24/7 until the pipe is fixed, after which we’ll flush the pipes of sediment and refill the water system.

• They’re also investigating the feasibility of connecting to two alternative water supplies, as a back-up to the main repair.

• In the meantime, please boil and save water.

Situation to date

• People in New Plymouth, Bell Block, Waitara, Tikorangi, Lepperton, Onaero and Urenui must continue to save water as much as possible.

• Only use water for drinking (after boiling it for one minute) and flushing the toilet. Please use your emergency water supplies first.

• All big water users have been asked to stop using water.

• It is up to businesses and schools to decide if they should shut, however all water must be boiled first before being consumed.

• There is a total ban on using water for gardens or outside washing.

• All properties from New Plymouth to Urenui are on a boil water notice. The notice will remain in place for at least a week after the supply is reconnected while the supply is returned to the national drinking water standard.

• All water for consumption, including filtered water, should be boiled for one minute.

• Water from the tankers that have been provided in critical areas does not need to be boiled.

• The tankers are operating from 6am to 9pm at the following sites:

• Hickford Park Car Park (end of Smeaton Road), Bell Block.

• Bell Block Court, Bell Block (outside The Warehouse).

• Outside Waitara Memorial Hall, Memorial Place, Waitara.

• Clifton Park car park, opposite Waitara High School, Princess Street, Waitara.

• Outside Tennis/Bowling Club, Manutahi Road, Lepperton.

• Rimu Street Industrial Park, Rimu Street, Merrilands, New Plymouth.

• Outside Mangorei School, Mangorei Road, New Plymouth.

• Please take your own containers for filing.

• Information on personal hygiene and food safety is available from the Taranaki District Health Board here: http://tdhb.org.nz/news/documents/2018-02-21.shtml.

• Across the entire Taranaki region, 4972 properties were still without power at 9am today. Power crews and contractors from across the North Island are working to restore power to these properties.

• Some local roads remain blocked due to storm damage. Contractors are working to clear them.

Declaration status

• A local state of emergency will remain in place for the New Plymouth District but has been lifted for Stratford and South Taranaki Districts.

Authorised by

Brent Manning, Taranaki CDEM Group Controll

© Scoop Media