The Star: December 20, 2018
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />
Thursday <strong>December</strong> <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>18 5<br />
Stoush over chlorination<br />
Dalziel<br />
hits back<br />
at CDHB<br />
• By Georgia O’Connor-<br />
Harding<br />
MAYOR LIANNE Dalziel has<br />
had a crack at the Canterbury<br />
District Health Board over its<br />
stance on the chlorine treatment<br />
of water supplies.<br />
She was responding to a statement<br />
by Canterbury medical<br />
officer of health Ramon Pink<br />
supporting and encouraging the<br />
use of chlorine as an additional<br />
barrier to ensure the safety of<br />
water supplies.<br />
He said: “Canterbury DHB<br />
supports and encourages the use<br />
of chlorine by any water supplier<br />
looking to protect and the drinking<br />
water of their customers.”<br />
But at a city council meeting<br />
yesterday, Ms Dalziel said she<br />
was “really annoyed” when she<br />
read that.<br />
“I just reject that statement out<br />
of hand.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> issue was raised during<br />
DISAGREE: Mayor Lianne Dalziel said she is annoyed by<br />
Canterbury medical officer of health Ramon Pink’s stance on<br />
chlorination.<br />
a water supply improvement<br />
programme update from the city<br />
council’s water supply improvements<br />
manager Helen Beaumont<br />
Ms Dalziel said the key to the<br />
city’s water supplies is a multibarrier<br />
approach to contamination<br />
and not a “one size fits all”<br />
for the entire country.<br />
A multi-barrier approach<br />
would include the protection<br />
of source water, removal<br />
chemical and microbiological<br />
contaminants by physical means,<br />
disinfection and protecting the<br />
network from recontamination.<br />
“That’s our position. Multibarrier<br />
leading to secure safe water<br />
that is good to drink. Good<br />
to drink means absent chlorine,”<br />
Ms Dalziel said.<br />
City councillor Raf<br />
Manji asked whether the city<br />
council was going to be “offside”<br />
with the CDHB.<br />
“I thought that was a strong<br />
sentence to say ‘encourages’ the<br />
use,” he said.<br />
Cr Manji asked if the CDHB<br />
was going to take the view the<br />
water supplies should be chlorinated<br />
regardless or if they are saying<br />
they think it is a good idea<br />
but the supplies don’t have to be<br />
chlorinated.<br />
Ms Beaumont said the Havelock<br />
North inquiry report has<br />
made a clear recommendation<br />
for the compulsory residual<br />
disinfection of all drinking supplies.<br />
“We have had quite a challenge<br />
bringing it back to a risk<br />
management approach and<br />
demonstrating the safety of the<br />
supply,” she said.<br />
Ms Beaumont said the city<br />
council has done a lot of work<br />
with the Ministry of Health and<br />
CDHB and thinks it has made<br />
some process.<br />
“I can’t give you an answer<br />
on if they are going to make it a<br />
prescriptive in the future, I don’t<br />
think so,” she said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> city council has upgraded<br />
38 of 140 well heads, meaning 25<br />
per cent of the drinking water is<br />
currently chlorine free.<br />
It will provide a timeframe for<br />
the upgrading of the wellheads<br />
– and dates for the removal of<br />
chlorine in February.<br />
All upgrade work will pause<br />
over the holidays.<br />
Local<br />
News<br />
Now<br />
Fire rages, homes at risk<br />
Heads cut<br />
off seals<br />
SIX HEADLESS fur seal pups<br />
were found at Scenery Nook, a<br />
remote but popular beach on the<br />
south side of Banks Peninsula.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 11-month-old seals were<br />
discovered by a tourism operator,<br />
floating in the tidal wash.<br />
Department of Conservation<br />
operations manager Andy<br />
Thompson said there was no<br />
evidence of the seals’ heads.<br />
It appears the seals were killed<br />
elsewhere before being potentially<br />
dumped from a boat and<br />
left to be found by visitors to the<br />
scenic bay.<br />
He said the killings were “cruel<br />
and senseless”.<br />
“Due to the disturbing, brutal<br />
and violent nature of this crime<br />
against defenseless seal pups, it<br />
has been reported to the police,”<br />
said Mr Thompson.<br />
Fur seals are protected under<br />
the Marine Mammals Protection<br />
Act.<br />
Three of the seals have since<br />
been buried, the other three have<br />
been sent to Massey University<br />
for a necropsy.<br />
“While the necropsy will<br />
determine the exact cause of<br />
death, we believe it’s incredibly<br />
unlikely sharks would have bitten<br />
the heads off six seals but left the<br />
bodies untouched.”<br />
Don’t leave it until<br />
it’s too late to get your<br />
home’s earthquake<br />
repairs checked.<br />
New Year’s Eve<br />
Featuring the Jordan Luck Band!<br />
FREE<br />
Monday 31 <strong>December</strong>, 6pm–12am<br />
North Hagley Park<br />
ccc.govt.nz/summertimes<br />
Sign up with us for a free foundation report.<br />
Claims Resolution Service Ltd<br />
Ph: 03 377 8855 | 130 Ferry Road, Christchurch<br />
E: reception@earthquakeservices.co.nz | W: www.earthquakeservices.co.nz<br />
NO WIN<br />
NO FEE
Change language