Salinity levels affect Whakatane water taste

Residents in Whakatane town (urban area) may be experiencing an unusual taste in the water due to increased salinity in the Whakatane River resulting from a combination of factors.

The Council’s Director of Works and Services Haydn Read says that due to the low river level and flow during this time of the year there is a higher level of sea water encroachment up the Whakatane River to the water treatment plant intake.

“With unusually high tides currently the sea water is encroaching back to the water treatment plant and increasing the level of water salinity. This is creating the slightly unusual water taste that people have been noticing over the past few days.” This problem has been made worse by the very dry weather conditions and subsequent low river levels. The very high tide levels will recede in the coming week, in the meantime our water treatment plant operators are working within operating protocols that minimise the “high tide” impact on the salinity intake during these periods.”

Mr Read says the water quality is monitored continuously and is very safe to drink. “In terms of people’s health, there are not any other adverse effects, only the slight change in the water taste highlighted by some of our concerned residents. Unfortunately in the short-term there are no easy or cheap solutions to improve the quality of our water in these somewhat unusual and extreme events.”

The Council is however looking at long term solutions that will remove the variation we currently experience when certain events transpire that affect the taste of our water. This includes investigation of an alternative water supply source and/or upgrading the water treatment plant. Any long-term solution will be expensive, and will require considerable financial investment by the community.