Drinking water still a challenge for community

When it comes to water, everybody knows when things go wrong, but there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes to keep things flowing. Gisborne District Council healthy living team leader Judith Robertson has had the tough job of ensuring a safe supply of water to Gisborne since the main water treatment plant was cut off after Cyclone Gabrielle. They've been relying on the local Waipaoa plant, which draws from a silt-laden river, and then undergoes a dramatic transformation before it reaches the tap. But the Waipaoa plant, which was only ever meant to be a back-up, won't meet the water demands of a horticultural area in high summer.