Former Tararua mayor Maureen Reynolds at the helm of emergency centre

Work begins on laying a water pipeline across the road next to the Mangatera Railway Crossing. Photo / Sue Emeny

Former Tararua mayor Maureen Reynolds has taken on the role of controller of Tararua District Council's Emergency Operations Centre which was set up to monitor and manage the critical water shortage facing the region.

Reynolds is one of three controllers but the others, council chief executive Blair King and strategy and district development manager Peter Wimsett, are fully occupied with other council matters.

"I was contacted last Wednesday to come in and take up the controller's role."

As part of that role Reynolds opened the Emergency Operations Centre which is housed at the Tararua Business Network.

"A number of staff members had been working on the water shortage situation but the decision was made to lift the level of the operation and open the emergency centre."

Once established, Reynolds' role has been to oversee the running of the centre and the staff manning it and to regularly communicate with Mayor Tracey Collis, councillors and community board members.

"Council staff members had been taken away from their normal duties because of the critical nature of the water shortage and were having to work with various other groups. Now that work is being taken care of through the centre and there is now a co-ordinated approach to the situation."

Reynolds said the centre was working closely with Horizons Regional Council, which controls the council's water take, and also helping organise water deliveries in rural areas for domestic purposes.

"People in rural communities have been running out of domestic water so the fire brigades of Dannevirke and Norsewood have been inundated. To that end we have continued to make sure that everything ticks over."

Part of Reynolds role also involves formulating action plans, daily reporting to the National Emergency Management Agency and to the mayor, who has been in constant contact with the region's MPs Alastair Scott and Kieran McAnulty.

Reynolds said if the situation was to worsen in Tararua personnel from other councils would be called in to help.

"This is not unusual. We have had staff travel to Southland to help with the flooding there and we have already had emergency management staff from Horowhenua District and from Horizons Regional councils."

East Coast Rural Support Trust co-ordinator Jane Tylee is also based in the Emergency Operations Centre.

"We have brought Jane in because we need to keep a finger on the pulse of what is happening in the rural community and to provide back-up in case she needs it."

It's 16 years since the Emergency Operations Centre has been in operation, the last time was for the 2004 flooding that hit the wider region.

"I suppose with this situation, the beauty of it, if there is a beauty to it, is that it builds up slowly whereas any other emergency type of event, such as an earthquake, comes on us quickly."

Tararau District Council staff man and former mayor Maureen Reynolds man the Emergency Operations Centre set up to deal with the district's critical water shortage.

On Monday the decision was made to lay a water pipeline from the Dannevirke Railway Station 2km north along the rail corridor. This pipeline is being put in place to enable the delivery of Kiwirail tankers filled with water from Palmerston North.

The work is scheduled to be completed by Friday, March 20. There will be road closures at railway crossings at Carlson St, Ruahine St, Allardice St, and Hospital St today and Allardice St and Hospital St tomorrow.

There will be further updates as the work progresses.

"The decision to do this work was made because water is essential for domestic purposes and needs to be carefully managed if the drought continues. There is no date yet for water deliveries by train. Our main concern is that people have domestic water."

Reynolds said Tararua communities had made tremendous efforts to conserve water which was very much appreciated.

"People have realised just how bad the situation is. However, we need residents to continue to conserve water until we get the autumn and winter rains.

"When the council put in the huge impounded water supply it was never imagined that they wouldn't be big enough. But the problem is we have had no rain, it's been falling all around us but not in Dannevirke or Woodville and that's unheard of. There hasn't been enough rain to retain water in the river.

"I've lived here for 50 plus years and I have never seen it this bad."

Reynolds will be stepping aside from the role of controller but the situation will continue to be closely monitored by council staff.

"We have put the processes in place and these will continue. We have been monitoring water levels many times throughout the day, every day and staff will still be doing this."

Reynolds said the current drought situation was at level three but if there is no decent rain soon the council would have to look at further measures.

Alliance meat processing plant was down to working four days a week but is now back up to five days, however, Reynolds said the situation was being reviewed every Thursday.

It was a busy time with plenty of public events being held here and on either side of the district.

"We have to make sure people coming to Tararua, and passing through, are aware of the critical water shortage."