Dunedin water boil notice to be in place until Friday

Dunedin, Water
The boil notice affected 1721 residential properties and 826 commercial properties. Photo credit: Grant Findlay/Newshub

The boil water notice in Dunedin will be in place until Friday at the earliest, the Dunedin City Council says.

The DCC was forced to issue a warning for much of the CBD to boil water used for consumption after a reservoir of water was accidentally released into the wrong place.

The warning was issued on Tuesday morning after it was found council staff opened a valve into a nearby stream so that they could begin to reduce the amount of water in the Ross Creek reservoir following heavy rain and floods three weeks ago.

Dunedin, Ross Creek
Ross Creek. Photo credit: Grant Findlay/Newshub

"Unfortunately it turned out that valve vented water from the resviour into some pipe work that all our paperwork insists was shutdown and disestablished thirty years ago," DCC CEO Sue Bidrose said in a media briefing on Tuesday afternoon.

"And actually [the water] headed into the city water supply." 

The council says they received a number of calls from residents that their water was dirty. 

At least 1721 residential properties and 826 commercial properties were affected by the warning throughout the city.

Authorities have spent most of the day opening hydrants around the city and drawing the water out of the city's water system.

Boil notices remain in place for much of the CBD and water tankers have dispatched around the city with clean water to offer to residents in need.

Dunedin, Water tankers
Water tankers have been made available across the city. Photo credit: Grant Findlay/Newshub

Water tankers have water available at the following locations:

  • The Octagon (available throughout the night)
  • Corner Dundas Street and Montgomery Avenue (available until 10pm tonight, returns 6am tomorrow)
  • Outside Otago Museum (main entrance) (available until 10pm tonight, returns 6am tomorrow)
  • Outside George Street Normal School (available until 10pm tonight, returns 6am tomorrow)
  • Outside the Oval BP forecourt (available until 10pm tonight, returns 6am tomorrow)
  • Outside Hunters Furniture, Cumberland Street (available until 10pm tonight, returns 6am tomorrow)
  • Outside Emerson's Brewery, Anzac Ave (available until 10pm tonight, returns 6am tomorrow)
  • Logan Park High School car park, Butts Road (available until 10pm tonight, returns 6am tomorrow)

Newshub.