The pile of rubble left by the demolition on Tuesday of the
Tapanui Hospital. Photo by Rachel Taylor.
A suggestion by the Clutha District Council this week
that a burst water main in Tapanui may have been connected to a
fire at the site of the town's now-demolished hospital is being
disputed by the local fire brigade.
Council district assets manager Jules Witt said in a press
statement on Wednesday the pipe burst about 2.30am that day
and may have been related to a callout at the old Tapanui
Hospital about 8 o'clock the previous night, "which would
have meant high water flows and added strain on the main
pipe."
But yesterday, Tapanui Fire Station Officer Rodney Stiven
described that claim as "ridiculous", saying firefighters had
not used much water in dampening down a rubbish fire and
would not have placed any pressure on the section of pipe
that burst.
"We were nowhere near it. We were 1.5km up the road. There
are another three hydrants before that pipe," he said.
Mr Stiven said the section of pipe in question was on Sussex
St, behind the Tapanui Community Centre.
"It went about a month and a-half ago. Where it burst, it's
burst there before."
Mr Stiven believed the burst was related to the age of the
town's reticulation system and the work the CDC is doing on
upgrading the town's water supply.
West Otago ward councillor Peter McPherson said no-one could
really say whether the rupture was caused by the firefighting
effort placing strain on the pipe or not.
"I wouldn't like to comment any further than that." Mr Witt
was unavailable for direct comment yesterday.
The Tapanui Hospital, opened in 1912 and closed in 1995, was
demolished to make way for building the West Otago Integrated
Family Health Centre and Rest Home.
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