Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton
Yesterday, people in Waikouaiti and Karitane were told to stop drinking, cooking and preparing food using tap water due to high levels of lead.
The council said yesterday that the levels were discovered in mid-December but the alert went to a Dunedin City Council staff member who was on holiday and they weren t picked up until the new year. Today, it said the first time elevated levels of lead were recorded was in August, 2020.
While many are resigned to their new water collection, frustration and anger are bubbling away over communication delays that left residents in the dark for weeks.