The Central Otago District Council says it has taken ‘‘proactive’’ steps to ensure the district’s water continues to meet the ‘‘rising standard’’ of water quality in New Zealand.
Last Thursday, the council received direction from water regulator Taumata Arowai regarding compliance deadlines for protozoa barriers to be installed in all water systems.
For those water systems that rely on surface water as the source, the installation and operation of a protozoa barrier must be completed by December 31, 2024.
For water systems using bore water as their source, installation and operation of a protozoa barrier must be in place by December 31, 2025.
Council chief executive officer Peter Kelly said as water quality standards increased, the council continued to prioritise investment, including the recently opened Lake Dunstan water supply.
The council had a plan in place to deliver compliant water supplies and would speed up moves to meet the due dates as directed by Taumata Arowai.
