The boil water notice is effective immediately and will be in place until further notice. Photo / NZME
The boil water notice is effective immediately and will be in place until further notice. Photo / NZME
Murupara residents are advised to boil all water after routine testing has revealed elevated levels of e-coli in the drinking water supply.
Murupara Area School said in a social media post some students and staff had been “vomiting due to water pollution.”
“The Ministry of Education has advised the school can be open tomorrow only on the proviso that students bring plenty of boiled water with them,” the post said.
Murupara Area School acting principal Kura Hingston told the Rotorua Daily Post today the council notified the school Thursday morning that water testing results had shown elevated levels of E.coli.
”We activated our health and safety plan,” Hingston said.
”Initially we thought we might have to close the school for two days but that was changed and we were able to open. Students were asked to bring their own bottled water.”
Prior to the council’s notification, Hingston said there had been some instances of staff and students reporting “gastro-like” symptoms earlier in the week.
Hingston said she had asked the council to provide more information about when the water testing was actually done.
”Our community are worried about [the situation].”
Hingston said members of the school community had asked if bottled water was also needed to be brought to school for handwashing.
”The Ministry of Education has been very helpful. They’ve said they would send water to the school if needed.”
Hingston said Murupara Area School hoped to be open on Monday.
Whakatane District Council said all water in the town used for drinking, making baby formula, juice, ice, washing fruit and vegetables, other food preparation/cooking needs, or brushing teeth should be boiled.
The council’s general manager infrastructure Bevan Gray said said the council received the positive results just after 11am on Thursday and were working to find the source of the [contaimanated] water and were sanitizing the supply to remove any contaminants.
“The positive results received were from samples collected the previous day. Samples take 24 hours to process.”
Gray said it would require three clear days of water samples for the water to be drinkable.
“We strongly advise people with symptoms to see their doctor as they can then be tested, and their illness traced back to either the water or something else like novovirus which has similar symptoms. The community is also advised to call Healthline on 0800 611 116,” Gray said.
The council said it would be bringing in a water tanker to provide water to the town.
De’Cafe Murupara employee Oru Waititi said the cafe was boiling water and cooling it for drinking.
”We’re just boiling it and if anyone asks, we’ve got water boiled for them,” Waititi said.
”It doesn’t take long.”
How to boil water for drinking:
Boiling will kill all disease-causing organisms.
Bring water to a rolling boil (where bubbles appear in the centre and do not disappear when the water is stirred) for two minutes or boil a full electric jug until it switches off
Cool water (do not use ice cubes to do this) and pour into clean container with a lid
Refrigerate until needed.
The area of Murupara affected is within these blue lines.
