Only a minority of Selwyn district councillors voted to support a notice of motion put forward by councillor Grant Miller calling for the cessation of the disinfection method at their meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
In voting against the notice of motion, the majority supported the continuation of chlorine.
District council staff recommend continuing chlorination temporarily until the water authority Taumata Arowai grants exemptions on a supply-by-supply basis.
Mayor Sam Broughton and councillors Bob Mugford, Phil Dean, Sophie McInnes, Nicole Reid, Shane Epiha and Malcolm Lyall voted to continue chlorination.
Councillors Elizabeth Mundt, Lydia Gliddon and Deborah Hasson voted in support of the notice of motion.
Christchurch is already chlorinating about 80 per cent of its supplies, while Waimakariri has had the ability to chlorinate in case of an emergency for some time.
Chlorination is deemed temporary in 18 of the Selwyn district's supplies, as they have not previously had permanent chlorination introduced and chlorination will be able to cease in future if further exemption applications are successful.
