What a transformation! Photo / TikTok/@Arohak12_
With temperatures soaring across the motu, one family was hit with a vexing problem when trying to escape the heat.
They shared their predicament - and their clever solution - on TikTok, revealing how they got around a foul problem with a bit of Kiwi ingenuity.
Aroha from Timaru revealed that she, along with the rest of the town, has been struggling with discoloured water.
"Just filled the kid's pool, check out Timaru's paru drinking water," she wrote.
The result was a grim-looking paddling pool, that one child in the whānau suggested looked like "someone did a runny tiko in there".
But the family found a fix in the kitchen, adding a few drops of blue colouring to transform the pool.
"Problem solved," Aroha wrote beside video of the pool, now looking decidedly improved.
Many commenters loved the idea, writing that it was "creative thinking" and asking: "Are you a magical goddess?"
But not everyone was impressed, with one mum writing that she wouldn't allow her children to take a dip in the water.
Aroha replied that the whānau had no choice.
"The whole region has had this coming out of our taps for two weeks," she wrote.
"Not much choice but shower, wash clothes, swim and cook with it."
Timaru District Council has told residents that the water is safe to drink and blamed the discolouration on non-toxic algae.
"We've ruled out a number of potential causes including cross-contamination, backflow, rust in pipes and silt from source water," it said in a statement published on its website.
"Having ruled out all of the above, we believe the most likely cause of the discolouration is non-toxic microscopic algae in the raw water which is common in summer, and is killed by our water treatments. This reaction can discolour the water."
Maybe the council should call in Aroha to fix things up?
Kickstart the day with rich slices of brioche with cheesy bèchamel sauce and fried egg.