A dead possum in the Roxburgh reservoir has led to a boil water notice being put in place immediately for Roxburgh and Lake Roxburgh Village.
The possum was identified during an unrelated inspection of the reservoir today, the Central Otago District Council said in a press release.
It was unknown how long the possum had been in the reservoir, but monitoring at the reservoir outlet had not shown any indication of degraded water quality, the press release said.
In line with the notice, all water used for drinking, brushing teeth, food preparation and cooking as well as making ice, baby formula and juice should be boiled.
Water needs to be brought to a rolling boil for at least one minute then allowed to cool naturally before using.
Two water tankers have been available since about 5.30pm today at Roxburgh Area School and Lake Roxburgh Village Hall.
The CODC said the water supply distribution network was sampled three times per week year-round, and had not shown any sign of degraded water quality.
The flushing under way was to ensure that any water that came out of the impacted reservoir is removed, before the boil water notice is lifted — which could be as early as tomorrow.
The reservoir was isolated when the possum was found, the CODC said. It will remain isolated until full disinfection has been completed, and other entry points addressed.
"We know any boil water notice is an inconvenience to our communities, but we must be sure the water is safe to drink. We’ll lift it as soon as the network has been fully refreshed, which may be as early as tomorrow," CODC Group Manager – Three Waters Julie Muir said.
- Allied Media
