Media release

Water Treatment Station back online

Posted On: Tuesday, 8 July 2003

Hamilton's Water Treatment Station is back online after shutting down as a precaution following an accident causing 15 tonnes of urea to spill into Waikato River near Narrows Bridge.

Operations manager David Hight says it was unlikely the spill would have caused any problems but it was best to be safe.

"A number of factors such as the river currently running high and demand on the water supply being low at this time of the year, meant there was little risk of the urea causing any problems for the water supply."

The Water Treatment Station was shut down at 9.30am and came back online at 1pm. Urea raises the water's pH which can unsettle the water treatment process.

It takes about three hours for water from Narrows Bridge to pass through the city.