14/11/23: Queenstown cryptosporidium outbreak: Four more weeks of boiling water RNZ
Queenstown residents can expect to boil their water for about four more weeks as the local council works to protect the water supply from protozoa.
There have been 72 confirmed cases in the local outbreak, caused by cryptosporidium. Another 20 are suspected and two possible are under investigation.
The boil water notice has been in place for some areas since 18 September.
Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is installing UV treatment at its Two Mile treatment plant, as well as bringing plants without the necessary protections up to compliance.
It will also clean the entire network supplied by the plant.
“This is a significant, one-off undertaking outside of normal business and something we’ve been planning alongside work at the treatment plant itself,” QLDC general manager property and infrastructure Tony Avery said on in a release on Tuesday.
“It will include draining and cleaning Fernhill #1 Reservoir as well as cleaning and inspecting all other network reservoirs. We’ll also be flushing the piped network to ensure any sediment where cryptosporidium could potentially still reside is displaced.”
QLDC said Two Mile should be ready as planned on 8 December, with hopes water can be drunk straight from the tap the following week.
“Whilst the possibility of contamination during these activities is low and extreme care will be taken, they do introduce some additional risk,” Avery said.
“It’s still really important that people in affected areas keep boiling their water.”
No one outside of the directly affected areas needed to boil water, Avery said. According to the QLDC website, the affected areas were Queenstown CBD, Fernhill, Sunshine Bay and Queenstown Hill.
“This continues to be a major project for council’s infrastructure, legal and planning staff as well as contractors Fulton Hogan and Veolia. They are completing work in weeks that would typically take many months.
“We also continue to acknowledge the patience and resilience being shown by individuals and businesses in the affected areas.”
The cause was established in early October as human faecal contamination.
29/9/23: Three hospitalised since crypto outbreak began
Otago Daily Times – Matthew Littlewood
Three people have been admitted to hospital during Queenstown’s Cryptosporidium outbreak, as the disease is transferred from person to person, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand Southern says.
Medical officer of health Dr Susan Jack shared the information yesterday, adding there were now 45 confirmed cases of Cryptosporidium (crypto), 17 probable cases and three under investigation.
A source of infection was yet to be identified.
“We are working closely with Queenstown Lakes District Council, Taumata Arowai and the Ministry of Primary Industries to ensure all possibilities are being considered,” Dr Jack said.
“Public health are aware of some cases of secondary infection of crypto.
“This means that there are some people who are getting it from people they live or work with.
“It is very important that everyone practise good hand hygiene to stop the spread of crypto to other people.”
Dr Jack confirmed three people had been admitted to hospital for crypto since the outbreak began.
All of them had been discharged.
A boil water notice remained in place for much of the Queenstown township.
Taumata Arowai head of regulatory Steve Taylor said it had written to councils that had drinking water supplies without a protozoa barrier, sourced from either surface water (river, lake, stream or spring) or a bore with a depth of less than 30m.
“We are asking these councils to ensure the information they have given us is accurate and up to date by October 4.
“Once they have had the opportunity to do this, we’ll release a list of supplies that don’t have the necessary protozoa barriers in place.
“We have indicated to councils that we will shortly communicate our expectations of compliance and the timeframe for getting protozoa barriers in place.”