Essential Water Outage in Kihikihi

As part of its project to install a new supplementary water supply to Kihikihi, Waipā District Council will replace some aging water pipes on Rolleston Street, which will render the Village without water for approximately four hours overnight on Thursday 19 May.

Work to connect the pipe will take place overnight from 10pm Thursday 19 May until 2am Friday 20 May in order to reduce the impact on residents, said Council’s Manager - Water Services, Martin Mould.

“The essential tie-in will replace the old watermain which feeds houses along Rolleston Street with a new pipeline. We do need to shut off the reservoir outlet which feeds the rest of the village during this work in order to undertake this upgrade,” Mould said.

“We recognise a planned outage may be inconvenient for residents and businesses, and we thank you for your patience while we complete this essential maintenance.”

Mould advised residents to store water for drinking and other essential use during the four-hour shutdown and reminded residents and businesses that the reconnection may result in temporary changes to water clarity while the network rebalances from the changes in pressure.

“While undertaking this work our team will make every effort to minimise the impact on water supply, but residents may expect to see some discolouration with the possibility of sediment or aerated water coming out when the main is turned back on.

“This is usually due to built-up sediment in pipes within the house as the reduction and subsequent increase in water pressure from the network can dislodge sediment.

“To remedy this, we recommend running an outside tap for a few minutes into a bucket to remove any air bubbles and to restore water clarity. You can then use the collected water for outdoor use.”

Mould said every effort will be made to minimise disruption and restore the water supply to the residents of Kihikihi as soon as possible.

“If for any reason the connection is not able to be completed within the four-hour window, we will postpone and replan works for a future date and advise residents.

Residents not connected to the Council water supply will remain unaffected