Dunedin City Council has revealed that one of its failed lead sample tests had in fact returned a level almost 40 times the acceptable limit.
Water tankers for Waikouaiti and Karitane after high lead levels found in the water.
Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton
Previously, it had said the test sample taken on 8 December last year was only four times the allowable level. One of the intermittent spikes in lead levels, a sample taken on 8 December 2020, was also incorrectly stated in one earlier radio interview to be four times the acceptable level of 10 micrograms/L, the council said in a statement. In fact, at 0.39mg/L, the sample is almost 40 times the acceptable level of 0.01mg/L.
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.
Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton
Nearly six months after receiving the first positive test results, the council finally advised Waikouaiti and Karitāne residents this week not to use tap water.
Now some locals feel they are still being kept in the dark about how dangerous the poisoning could be.
The helicopter flew over the catchment for Waikouaiti and Karitāne, searching for contamination which could account for the elevated lead levels.
The city council said information from that flight has been passed on to the Otago Regional Council, but will not elaborate further.
Waikouaiti-based community board member Sonya Billyard said locals are clamouring for more information from the council.