Heavy flooding across the district has overwhelmed wastewater pump stations, causing them to overflow. All surface water and floodwater must be treated as contaminated, whether standing or flowing, and people are urged to stay well clear of flooded areas entirely.
Water treatment plants at Matatoki, Puriri and Omahu may need to shut down temporarily to clean their filters, owing to high sediment levels in local streams and rivers. To support water supply in the Thames Valley area during any disruption, a water tanker has been positioned outside the Puriri Hotel in Puriri.
Eleven roads are currently closed due to flooding:
Kennedy Bay Road, near Mangatu Road / School
Blackjack Road, closed at Otama Beach
Hot Water Beach Road, closed at SH junction and Purangi Road intersection
Colville Road, south of the Colville Store
Waikawau Beach Road
Kaimarama Road, at the start of the road
Hikuai Settlement Road
Waterways Parade, roundabout entering Pauanui
Purangi Road
Opoutere Road, at the start of the road
309 Road, outside Peninsula Quarry (Whitianga side)
Two additional roads remain open but are passable by 4WD only: Pepe Road, where the water is contaminated, and Wentworth Valley Road. Conditions are changing rapidly across the district. People are asked to avoid unnecessary travel, observe all road closures, and take care near waterways.
