After 14 years and $64 million spent, the Dunedin water supply has finally been given the official stamp of approval.
Dunedin City Council water and waste services manager John Mackie said at the weekend the Ministry of Health's register of community drinking water supplies, when it is next published, would show the city's Mt Grand and Southern water supply systems had an "Ab" grading.
The systems, which serve 83% of Dunedin residents, are still listed as ungraded on the register.
The "A" grading will signify that the treatment plants are "completely satisfactory", with an "extremely low" level of risk, and the "b" grading will signify that the water mains network is "satisfactory", with a "very low" level of risk.
Mr Mackie said the percentage of residents with Ab water would increase as upgrading work was completed at Waikouaiti, Port Chalmers, Mosgiel and West Taieri.
The main upgrade began in 1995, at a time when Dunedin's water was officially "E" grade, "the worst that you could get", Mr Mackie said.
"E" stands for "completely unsatisfactory" and "a very high level of risk".
Early on in the upgrade, Pacific Park managing director Clarke Walker complained Dunedin's "green-brown" water was driving hotel visitors away.
In 1997, the Otago Daily Times reported: "In a recent exchange, an angry Taiwanese woman on a tour tipped a kettle of the water over the reception desk, reportedly saying in her limited English 'dirty, dirty, dirty'."
In a letter to the council, Mr Walker said by the time the water upgrade was completed, "I will not enjoy the benefits of your hard work as I will be out of business unless some counteraction can be taken".
Yesterday, Mr Walker was still in business and said he was delighted with the quality of water the hotel had been getting for the past two years.
"As ratepayers, we've had to pay for it, but it's money well spent."
Former Dunedin woman Sandra Crashley agreed, describing the grading as "absolutely brilliant".
In 1997, Ms Crashley complained that Dunedin's dirty water had given her giardia five times in one year.
Reported the ODT: "She had been preparing tea on Monday night when the cold water from her kitchen tap 'was running mud'."
Ms Crashley said at the weekend she had recently visited Dunedin and found the water good to drink.
While the upgrade was completed in 2005, and there has been no change to the system since then, it has taken until now for Dunedin's water to get the final, official nod of approval.
The delay was because a minimum of 12 months' "satisfactory continuous performance of the treatment plant" had to be achieved and evaluated.
The Ab rating is higher than the Ac grading target in the city's community plan.
• Water grade
A: Dunedin City
B: Mosgiel, East Taieri
E: Outram, West Taieri, northern communities.
