Heathcote water turns green

Press, 26 February 1986, Page 1

Heathcote water turns green

Water supplied from a Heathcote County reservoir turned bright green last evening, prompting concern in the 120 households to which it was pumped. Warnings to residents not to drink the water were broadcast on Christchurch radio stations last evening. The chairman of the Heathcote County Council, Mr Oscar Alpers, said late last evening that a person had been seen behaving suspi-

ciously near the affected reservoir in Victoria Park.

Council engineers and the county health inspector were at the reservoir late last evening working to fix the supply problem.

No-one is believed to have so far suffered illeffects from the coloured water.

Mr Alpers said that he hoped the supply would have returned to normal by today.

The engineers were draining the 60,000 gallons of water from the reservoir.

It was hoped that the D.S.I.R. could run tests on the water overnight to determine what had been introduced, Mr Alpers said. Householders were urged to run all the coloured water from their taps before they drank from the supply. The houses affected were on Takahe Drive, Pentre Place, all those above the Sign of the Takahe, and a few of those below the Sign of the Takahe and Dyers Pass Road. The Sign of the Takahe itself was not

affected. Mr Alpers said that the first complaints from residents about the colour of the water were received about 8.30 p.m. He did not know what had been put in the water, but it was possibly a food colouring. The taste of the water did not change. “It’s unbelievable. I hope they catch whoever did it,” he said. The substance had been put in the water supply through a grille on the concrete reservoir.

A county resident might have seen the vandal at the reservoir last evening and has supplied the police with a description of a person and a car which were at the

site about 7.30 p.m. The resident thought it was unusual for someone to be there at that time and in cold weather.

Senior-Sergeant Craig Shannahan of the Christchurch police, said the action of the person who tampered with the water supply was “bloody stupid.” “At best it is an expensive prank, and at worst it is a criminal nuisance,” he said.

If apprehended the person could face charges. A policeman would probably remain at the reservoir overnight, said Senior-Sergeant Shannahan.

Mr Alpers said that in the past the County Council had experienced trouble with persons tampering with reservoirs.

The problem had not been as common recently and he had felt that it was overcome.

He was not sure what type of security was maintained at the reservoir at Victoria Park.