Water Drilling Begins in Okato

Drilling has begun in the search for a new water supply for Okato.

Today (Monday) workers are drilling behind the town’s water treatment plant on Oxford Road.

“This is the first of four wells that we plan to drill as part of this programme,” says Manager Water and Wastes Brent Manning.

“It will take about six weeks to drill to the target depth of 200m.”

All four bores will need to be drilled before the Council can evaluate the quality and quantity of any groundwater that is found.

NPDC hopes to find a viable aquifer so that groundwater can supplement or even replace the current supply from the Mangatete Stream, which is prone to low summer flows as well as lahar material during heavy rain.

“If we could find useable groundwater in an aquifer, we’d have a much more reliable water supply for the town’s 600 residents,” says Mr Manning.

Further up the road in Oakura, an aquifer has supplied that town’s drinking water since 2004. It is probable that the geological conditions around Okato is similar to those in Oakura, where ash material above the aquifer acts as a natural filter to produce water of exceptional clarity.