KEY POINTS:
Fresh spring water was being trucked into Whakatane today, as the town's water contamination crisis worsens.
The rescue effort by Whakatane District Council will come as some relief to disgruntled water drinkers, turned off by the foul-tasting seawater-tainted council supply and buying water from supermarkets.
Two tankers will supply the free fresh drinking water to anyone who wants it.
Council communications manager Barney Dzowa said samples of water had been sent away late last week for independent testing and the results should be available on Friday.
But he said tests conducted at the Valley Road treatment plant showed the salt level had been increasing in the past few days with higher tides.
Mr Dzowa said the tanker water had been sourced from springs near Edgecumbe, which were uncontaminated by the combination of high spring tides and low water flow in the Whakatane River that had affected Whakatane's supply.
It was hoped that rain yesterday and last night and which was forecast to continue today, would bring a fresh river flow and keep tidal waters at bay.
Whakatane supermarkets reported a rush for bottled water - but as fast as stocks were replenished on the supermarkets shelves they were being sold out.
Pak n' Save customer Valmai Herewini said the town's tap water was "bloody yuk", and she did not believe the council's story that the water was not a health issue.
Another customer Kerry Lawrence said she had just arrived home from the United States and found Whakatane's water "absolutely disgusting". She said she felt sorry for school children who had nothing else to drink.
Whakatane harbour superintendent Peter Cavanagh was planning to test the Whakatane River water yesterday afternoon upstream of water intake pipes, to see how far the seawater was reaching at high tide.
Mr Dzowa said while tap water was safe to drink the issue was one of palatability. No micro-biological contamination had been detected, he said.
He conceded the contaminated water could affect equipment such as coffee making machines and solar water heating equipment.
- NZPA
