No panic, water fit to drink, town told

Don't panic, the water's fine.
That's the message from town leaders after a ''misleading'' television report about potentially deadly water rippled panic through Masterton.
Masterton District Council chief executive Wes ten Hove said yesterday the special segment about New Zealand water supplies, which was broadcast on One News on Monday night, referred in narrative and video to an outbreak of crytosporidium contamination in the town supply seven years ago.
The news segment warned the infection may cause ''diarrhoea, vomiting, and even death''.
''They started the report with 'your water supply may kill you' and mentioned their archive as they ran footage of boil-water notices in Masterton,'' Mr ten Hove said. ''But it was not made clear that the outbreak happened in 2003. The story is misleading as viewers were left with the inference, the strong impression, that our water supply is contaminated. That is patently not the case. ''We've had a double A grading every year for the past five years _ basically since the fix. The last thing we need is a loss of confidence out there about what is today a relatively efficient and cost-effective water-supply system.''
Mr ten Hove said 12 calls were fielded at the council offices yesterday from people in a panic about the Masterton water supply after they saw the news segment.
Only about seven people had shown signs of crytosporidium infection during the 2003 outbreak and it was uncertain at the time whether the problem was down to the water supply. A ''boil water'' warning was issued throughout the district, he said, the water system was flushed, ''a gap in the filtration process'' was plugged, and new water ponds established.
After speaking yesterday to One News representatives, Mr ten Hove said he was ''naively optimistic'' that the media had integrity enough to make amends over the story.
He said he had also discussed taking the matter further, although he would hold off while the network fully digested his complaint.
Masterton Mayor Garry Daniell said he was ''pretty upset'' about the report, after the ''huge efforts'' to ensure the water met health standards: ''There is not a trace of crytosporidium in our water supply today and that fact, above all else, needs to be made clear.''
One News representatives could not be reached for comment.