A small North Island town has been without water for most of Friday after it's main water pipe was washed away.
Featherston's main supply is now flowing into the Boar Bush stream after heavy rain overnight caused the land, and pipe, to slip away.
"It's just taken the whole pipe out so it doesn't exist anymore over a certain number of metres," says South Wairarapa Mayor Alex Beijen.
It's forcing the Council to bring in water tankers so the town's 1600 residents could still fill up. Even the local fire station was dry and had to get its own tanker as a precaution.
The town's public toilets couldn't flush so portable loos were dropped off, and businesses had to close their doors.
"We've got a number of cafes that can't serve coffee, we've got hairdressers... who've had to cancel all their bookings for the day, so it is quite major," Beijen says.
St Theresa's School also cancelled classes for the day due to no running water.
"Actually I heard one [student] say, 'no I don't want to!'. Which was amazing to hear but everyone just accepted that's what has to happen," said principal Jennifer Muth.
On Friday night contractors are attaching a temporary pipe to get water flowing again but because the area's so remote, a permanent solution will take time.
Beijen says: "They are bypassing it to provide a temporary fix and over the weekend they'll be working on fixing it permanently".
With hope, the town's residents can use their own taps again soon.
