Council reviews water bacteria warnings

Marlborough District Council is to review how it warns people about boiling water after a child was diagnosed with an E.coli infection.

A requirement to boil all drinking water and water used for food preparation has been in place for years in the Awatere and Seddon regions, southeast of Blenheim.

It includes water used for brushing teeth.

While the council places boil water notices in a local newsletter, some people new to the area appear to be unaware of the requirement.

The council will now look at placing notices in school newsletters, sending notices to each water metered house, and placing notices on water meter accounts.

Nelson Marlborough medical officer Dr Maree Leonard said the strain of E.coli had not previously been identified in any water supply in Marlborough.

It differs from other E.coli bacteria in that it contains a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness; initially diarrhoea and abdominal pain, progressing to kidney failure in a proportion of people.

Most susceptible are young children, the elderly, and the immune deficient.

- nzpa