A small Southland township's water supply has been cut off. after flood waters washed out a 50-metre section of a bridge, near Gore.
The council is warning people to stay away from the Mataura River and downstream structures, as a section of the Pyramid Bridge floats down the river.
Stock and household water has been cut off to 250 properties, after the main pipe for the Otama rural water supply scheme, attached to the bridge, was severed.
Gore District Council chief executive Steve Parry said the severed pipe was "stopping water" to the district's "largest rural water scheme," he says.
The council plans to bring in a tanker to provide clean drinking water and is assessing options to restore water supply.
Council staff are may bring a helicopter in to find the section of bridge that broke away.
There are fears it may be travelling downstream, but given its weight, it has most likely sunk, the council says.
The road is closed.
Much of the South Island has been left with a massive clean-up job, after heavy downpours and strong winds lashed the country, in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Fehi.
The ex-cyclone barrelled across the country on Thursday, bringing king tides and flooding, and causing trees and debris to fall onto roads.
Newshub.
