Fresh clean water free to Manaia and Opunake primary schools

PETRA FINER

Last updated 13:22, August 24 2015

Cool, clear, quality water is finally on tap at Manaia and Opunake Primary Schools.

Opunake principal Lorraine Williamson said both school's were situated in parts of the region that were considered to have poor-quality water.

"They contacted us out of the blue and said that they had decided to put some free water filters in schools in areas where the water was designated as poor quality."

Installed on the main line, the system ensures all water entering the school has been cleared of many heavy metals, chlorine and water born bugs such as giardia.

The $150,000 investment by HRV was also expected to make the water taste better. Many of the schools involved in the project are located in smaller towns and rural areas which have water quality compliance issues according to the Ministry of Health's Annual Report on Drinking Water Quality 2013-2014.

Because schools wouldn't have to foot the bill for any ongoing maintenance, Williamson said the offer was too good to refuse.

"We actually filtered our drinking fountains and we have filters in the staff room drinking areas and it's quite costly changing those filters."

Williamson said students today were quite particular about the water they drank. As a school that encouraged students to drink water and didn't allow fizzy drinks or juice students often filled their drink bottles with filtered waters.

"From time to time, we've turned the taps on here and our water is brown so I would say it would make a fairly significant to the quality of water in this school."

To meet compliance requirements of the Drinking-water Standards For New Zealand a water supply must meet the bacteriological, protozoal, and chemical standards which measure everything from E. Coli and giardia through to chemical contaminants such as chlorine by-product trihalomethanes.

"School's don't often just have people turn up out of the blue and give you something for nothing so I would like to express our thanks on behalf of the board and staff and students," Williamson said.

Partnering with HRV in the project is Water New Zealand, a not-for-profit organisation that represents and advocates for organisations in the water industry.

Water New Zealand's advocacy and learning manager Peter Whitehouse said smaller towns and rural areas could face significant water quality issues.

"Many of New Zealand's smaller centres face capacity and affordability constraints that, on occasion, can result in compromised water quality. The more isolated rural communities will need support if high quality potable water is to be a 24/7 reality."

HRV chief executive Bruce Gordon said the project was about doing something good for schools around New Zealand.

"It's also about encouraging discussion about the quality of water New Zealander's use as part of everyday life and doing something to make it safer and healthier."

- Stuff

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Water Quality