Parents nervous wait for leaded water tests in Otago
4 Feb, 2021 05:36 PM
4 minutes to read
Concerned Waikouaiti parents Rachel and Richard Olsen are worried about the health of their 1-week-old baby Gretel. Photo / Peter McIntosh
Otago Daily Times
Baby Gretel Olsen was 1 week old yesterday.
Today, she will get a blood test to check for levels of lead in her system.
Parents Richard and Rachel Olsen, of Waikouaiti, were horrified to hear some of the water Rachel had been drinking during her pregnancy might have contained high levels of lead.
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Authorities initially thought it might be a localised problem, but Tuesday’s tests results showed lead in the reservoir that supplies both towns. Karitāne School Board of Trustees chairwoman Jane Schofield said the water in the area has never been great and for 12 years she has been driving to and from Dunedin in order to get drinking water. “We have carted water from town [Dunedin] because the water is revolting here. And now to find out that it s actually not even safe to be consuming, it s just horrifying,” Schofield said. Authorities have warned residents not to boil the water, saying that does not remove lead but instead increases its concentration.