KEY POINTS:
Whakatane's salty tap water may have gone but the lasting effects may be beginning to show themselves.
Plumbers say recent high salt content in the town's water supply could be the reason for the huge spike in the number of hot-water cylinder elements being replaced.
Two weeks ago, unusually low river levels and exceptionally high spring tides forced sea water to the town's water treatment plant which was, in turn, sent into the reservoir.
And while health officials claimed the water was more than safe to drink, many residents couldn't get past the ghastly taste.
The council trucked in fresh spring water before last week's deluge of rain brought an almost instant remedy to the problem.
Maurice Shapley, who owns Shapley Plumbing Ltd, said it was common sense that salt water would cause some sort of damage.
"It stands to reason that when you put a positive and a negative charge into a salt solution you are going to get a different reaction than when you do it in standard water," Mr Shapley said.
He said there were generally more element replacements after heavy rain.
"But I have never seen a spike as big as this one before."
His business has replaced 10 elements since last Friday.
"This is a big increase compared to the one or two usually replaced each month," Mr Shapley said.
Ken Clark from Clark Bros Electrical said he had replaced eight elements since last Friday.
"I have no idea why so many elements have blown - I can only surmise why," Mr Clark said.
"Sometimes I can go a month without having to change a single element."
Mr Clark said he knew of another electrician who had had a busy weekend changing elements. At an average cost of $50 per element plus $60 an hour for most contractors plus a callout charge, the replacements have put Whakatane residents out of pocket by at least $120.
When the salt was first noticed in the Whakatane water supply, Whakatane District Council communications manager Barney Dzowa said it could affect equipment such as coffee-making machines and solar water-heating equipment.
Mr Dzowa said yesterday that the council was "pretty confident the salt water would not have had a major impact on hot- water cylinder elements".
"We will have more to say once we have checked with an industrial chemist," Mr Dzowa said.
It was a matter of council dotting their i's and crossing their t's before "we make further comment".
- ROTORUA DAILY POST
