Lawrence water supply - chlorine testing
Following feedback from a small number of residents about the strong odour of chlorine and people reporting suffering from itching skin and stinging eyes after showering, we are offering testing of chlorine levels for Lawrence residents.
Chlorine is added during the water treatment process to disinfect drinking water to protect public health and meet regulations.
Chlorine itself has no odour, but when it comes in contact with organic material like bacteria, mould, dirt, or odours, it will react and give the characteristic bleach smell. It is the smell people might recognise as a public swimming pool.
If you smell this, it means the chlorine has found something that needs disinfecting, and it is working hard to do its job breaking down that organic material.
Many times, people complain that they get a strong odour of chlorine when they first turn on a tap. This can mean that it could be time to clean out the aerator screens on the tap where bacteria and mould tend to grow, and where the chlorine sits for long periods of time breaking them down before suddenly being flushed out when the tap is turned on.
As well as testing chlorine levels both during and post the water treatment process, Council also conducts regular testing at specific sites around the distribution network in the township.
The regular testing is showing us that all results are within the minimum acceptable levels determined by Taumata Arowai, NZ’s water services regulator. Separately to this testing Eurofins, Council's independent water testing laboratory, also collect samples and provide results to us and the regulator directly.
To help us understand whether high levels have accumulated anywhere within the network, and which are the cause of concern, we are offering residents the opportunity to provide us with a sample of water from within their property boundary.
To ensure the integrity of samples, residents can collect a sample collection bottle, together with an instruction leaflet for how to take a sample, from the Lawrence Community Library from Thursday 4 July 2024.
Samples are to be returned to the same point. Council’s 3 Waters staff will test each sample and provide results directly to each property owner the next day.
Where extraordinary test outcomes are identified, the team will contact the resident to arrange for further, more detailed testing to be undertaken.
The testing service will be offered while the township has a boil water notice in place.