The council will bring a tanker of water from Hunterville to the Marton RSA and Citizens Memorial Hall each Tuesday and Thursday between 3pm and 6pm, starting 13 January. Photo: Supplied / Rangitīkei District Council
A lower North Island town with smelly, muddy-tasting tap water will have supplies trucked in from a neighbouring town from next week.
The water in Marton has been unpleasant for many years due to geosmin in the water, which is the breakdown of algae causing a smell and taste that worsens during summer, the Rangitīkei District Council website said.
In an update on social media, the council said the problem was ramping up again.
"As many of you will have noticed, the geosmin levels in Marton's water supply has been elevated for a number of weeks, which is what causes the smell and taste issues we experience in summer especially," it said.
"Our reticulation team will continue to fine tune the treatment process of the water to make improvements, but we recognise that it can take some time for the geosmin levels to settle down."
The council will bring a tanker of water from Hunterville to the Marton RSA and Citizens Memorial Hall each Tuesday and Thursday between 3pm and 6pm, starting 13 January.
People should bring their own containers to collect the water, the council said.
It thanked residents for their patience.
"We know it is frustrating, but rest assured progress is being made towards our new water source solution."
Rangitīkei District Council is working on switching its supply from surface water to groundwater, which will remove the geosmin: "the main culprit of the taste and smell issues".
It's been trialling a bore site at the Tutaenui Reservoir, with engineers due to present results and recommendations to council in February.
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