Minister of Civil Defence Kris Faafoi has expressed support for the news that Wellingtonians will have access to 20 litres of emergency water from day eight after a major earthquake.
Over the past 12 months, Wellington’s council has been working to establish an above ground emergency network that aims to provide communities with a self-sufficient, local, supply of water seven days after a major disaster.
According to Faafoi, the new network stands alone from 2,000 kilometres of buried pipes because in an earthquake of magnitude 7.5 or stronger New Zealand could see more than 70% of the drinking water network fail.
“We know that parts of the Wellington region could be without tap water for up to 100 days following a major earthquake as a result of damage to the water supply network and potential access difficulties,” he said.
The minister noted Kiwi households are advised to store at least three litres of drinking water per person per day for a minimum of three days. Wellington residents should be prepared to look after themselves for the first seven days following a significant earthquake, as parts of the city may be isolated for some time.
New community water stations are strategically located in parks, schools, and on roadsides across the emergency response ‘islands’. Each of the 22 community water stations is capable of supplying 4,000-11,000 people every day.
For the next phase of the work, Wellington Water and local councils will set up a model for distributing water across the four city council areas. Contractors, staff, and emergency volunteers are expected to help distribute water across emergency water zones.
