Queenstown is on track to return to normal water usage early next month as work continues to install protozoa barriers at treatment plants, Queenstown Lakes District Council says.
The council has been working to install UV treatment at its Two Mile water treatment plant to protect against protozoa such as cryptosporidium, work that has been ongoing since September 20.
General manager property and infrastructure Tony Avery said that the barrier's installation comprised just one part of the overall project.
The entire network supplied by Two Mile will be cleaned and flushed, network reservoirs will be cleaned and inspected, and the piped network will be flushed to displace any sediment where cryptosporidium could still reside.
"Whilst the possibility of contamination during these activities is low and extreme care will be taken, they do introduce some additional risk. It's still really important that people in affected areas keep boiling their water," Avery said.
"We remain on track to have UV treatment up and running at Two Mile in line with our original estimated date of 8 December."
The date on the lifting of the boil water notice depends on approval by Taumata Arowai.
"We continue to work positively with the regulator to ensure residents, visitors and businesses in affected parts of Queenstown can return to normal water usage as soon as possible, targeting the week of 11 December."
Avery said that work is being completed in weeks that would usually take months.
"We also continue to acknowledge the patience and resilience being shown by individuals and businesses in the affected areas."
A boil water notice remains in Queenstown town centre, Gorge Rd out to and including Industrial Pl, Fernhill, Sunshine Bay, and Queenstown Hill above Frankton Rd.
A public health investigation by Te Whatu Ora concluded that human faecal contamination of the water supply as the most likely source of the cryptosporidium outbreak.
Since the beginning of the outbreak until November 7, there have been 72 confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis, 20 probable cases, and two under investigation.
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