Woodville Boil Water Notice

26 March 2025

Update 26 March 2025

Following on from the discovery of animal droppings yesterday, we have found and caught the offender - a possum hiding in the rafters of the Woodville Water East Treated Reservoir. An ROV (small underwater drone) inspection was undertaken and did a full inspection of the reservoir internally and did not identify any traces of an animal or it’s droppings in the water. A building inspector and our team have spent a few hours doing a detailed inspection of the structure and there is no obvious point of ingress so we are still in the dark on how it got there. We have adjusted our cameras to put better eyes on the area and see if we can spot where they might be getting in. The water quality is monitored continuously by our water teams and reported to Taumata Arowai – the NZ water regulator. Water test results that came in today are clear. However, the boil water notice remains in place until 3 days of consecutive clear water testing.

---------------------------

We are issuing a boil water notice for the Woodville water supply as rodent faeces has been detected on the rafters of the Woodville Water East Treated Reservoir this morning. To date, this is the first occurrence of animal entry into this reservoir.

In order to confirm if contamination has occurred, we:

  • Have issued a boiled water notice
  • Have immediately increased our water testing
  • Initiated an investigation into identifying ingress points
  • Prioritising our underwater drone to do an underwater scan

Routine sampling is ongoing and no contaminants such as E-coli have been detected in the water network. We are issuing the boil water notice until further investigation and testing is completed.

A letter drop will be conducted today and regular updates on this will be provided through the Council information channels. We appreciate the communities help to spread this message.

Until notified, Woodville residents are advised to boil water before using it for:

  • drinking (including making of sachet juice/drinks);
  • making ice;
  • food preparation;
  • brushing teeth; and
  • preparing infant/toddler formula.

Electric jugs with a cut-off switch can be used as long as they are full – allow the water to come to the boil and wait for it to switch off (do not hold the switch down to increase the boiling time). Water can also be placed in a clean metal pan and brought to a rolling boil for one minute. Boiled water should be covered and allowed to cool in the same container.

People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, pregnant women, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. If you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor or Healthline 0800 611 116.

If you have other houses or tenants on your property, please advise them of the contents of this notice.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Tararua District Council directly on: 06 374 4080 or 06 376 0110.

--------------------------

Below is a photo of the rodent droppings on the rafters of the reservoir.

Woodville reservoir rafters