Airline passengers were encouraged to use onboard toilet facilities before landing at Queenstown Airport after a burst water main cut supplies to most of Frankton, a Queenstown Lakes District Council sub-committee heard this week.
The unusual request was one of the actions taken by the Queenstown Airport Corporation when the terminal lost water for two hours on August 29.
Notices went up and cafes were asked to conserve water.
The 200mm water main burst at Robertson Rd on August 29, at about 8am, and left 70% of Frankton without water for most of the morning, including the airport, Remarkables Park and Lakes District Hospital for a few hours.
Airport chief executive Steve Sanderson said there was a small inconvenience to passengers and staff, but no flight disruptions.
Council water services manager Garry McGraw said the toilets had to be operational because the airport was a public building.
It was the same mandate for schools.
"The airport, as a risk mitigation measure, should have a small water supply service capacity for servicing public toilets," he said.
Mr Sanderson said the airport's two new firefighting trucks always contain 7100 litres of water each and the two older trucks always carry 5000 litres each.
The airport has eight public toilets and four staff toilets.
Mr McGraw said it was fortunate there were no flights arriving until lunchtime, but the council made it a priority to get water back to the airport.
The hospital at Frankton was not affected, as it has its own water supply.
The break was isolated and fixed by contractor United Water by mid-afternoon.
