An hour later I was discussing the locations for the signs I had ordered when I realised I was getting a solid dose of the flu. I was cold, aching and not feeling at all good so I arranged to delay the signs, went home and jumped in the bed with the electric blanket on maximum. And there I stayed for a week.
In the middle of the first night I woke and realised I was very sick. I won't go into the unsavoury details but eventually we dumped the electric blanket, the duvet, and all sorts of bedding and bed wear.
Friday is pretty much a blur but on Saturday I managed to reply to a couple of texts. Both were answered advising there was a major problem with the Havelock North water and that was when I realised I was affected by something called campylobacter.
Sunday was no better, but on Monday I took a call from a reporter asking my views as a councillor.
I managed to get rather off side with the mayor by suggesting the HDC was aware of problems with the water. By that I was referring to the regular flushes of chlorine we seemed to be receiving at our place. I had previously asked about this and as I recall had been advised it was to disinfect the pipes after engineering work.
It was Thursday August 18 before I finally crawled out of bed but even then I was unable to stray far from home in case of a "personal emergency".
Two things I particularly remember are the months of fatigue then just after Christmas to mid May a rash covering my arms, torso and legs. I still don't know whether this was a reaction to the chlorine or the gastro but it was unsightly and uncomfortable.
As it turns out I was the only councillor to be affected and while I would have preferred it hadn't happened I do at least have some appreciation of all that many Havelock North residents endured.
Since then I have met many people who were badly affected by the gastro outbreak. Some are only now getting back to work and many more feel they have ongoing health issues. During the outbreak I was unable to work and as a freelance TV contractor it cost me a significant amount of income, admittedly covering the disaster.
At a personal level I still feel apprehensive about drinking the water and save surplus boiled water though I know this is irrational because the water is treated with chlorine.
I am annoyed with myself for not asking more about the earlier intermittent chlorine flushes in the Havelock North water supply and for not knowing more about municipal water supply risks.
As a result I have attended almost all sessions of the official government enquiry. While there were serious and highly unsatisfactory shortcomings in the bores it became clear early on that the outbreak was caused by water contaminated by sheep faeces entering the water supply via the aquifer and the council bores.
The inquiry determined that HBRC, HDC and the health authorities all contributed. This clearly was always a disaster waiting to happen and in fact in 1998 there was a similar but less catastrophic outbreak.
In 2013/14 Havelock North had the highest number of transgressions in New Zealand and clearly the significance of these was simply not appreciated.
There are going to be huge changes in the provision of drinking water in this country. In Sydney, Australia, water supply management and board members were required to resign following a major failure in their water supply and here there may be punitive penalties in future.
Toward the end of the inquiry the panel has explored the option of local councils loosing their control of water supplies and responsibility for drinking water being taken over by either regional or a national water supply authority.
What ever the outcome the Havelock gastro outbreak of 2016 will have huge repercussions for individuals, Hawke's Bay Local Government and New Zealand.
