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Speaker 1: Listen. We've been getting texts this afternoon suggesting that there's

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Speaker 1: a problem with the water in Auckland re arsenic levels.

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Speaker 1: Right now, we have Steve Taylor, head of operations at

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Speaker 1: Water Services Authority toe Mata away with us. Steve, Hello,

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Speaker 1: good evening. What's the situation.

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Speaker 2: So we think nnified earlier today that they have done

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Speaker 2: some increase levels of our snake in the White Cuttle.

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Speaker 2: So you're probably the way that the White River source

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Speaker 2: water for a number of don't you want to supplies

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Speaker 2: and including parts Auckland Fork plant and also Hamilton.

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Speaker 1: Okay, Steve, before you carry on, your phone line is

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Speaker 1: so dodgy it's almost impossible to hear you right now.

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Speaker 1: Is there? Is it possible that you can maybe move

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Speaker 1: into a better reception area or take your phone or

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Speaker 1: speakerphone or whatever it is that's causing the problem.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, sure, Is that any better?

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Speaker 1: Marginally? Carry on? Okay? So what I've got from struggling

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Speaker 1: to hear that is that there is elevated levels of

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Speaker 1: arsenic in the White Cuttle River, which is the feeder

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Speaker 1: for Auckland and the White Cuttle's water.

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Speaker 2: Right, that's great? Yes, So there are naturally elevated levels

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Speaker 2: or there is naturally a level of arsenakim like at

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Speaker 2: a river. What we've been notified of is that those

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Speaker 2: levels have increased recently. We're not sure what the reason

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Speaker 2: for that increases, and that is affecting water supplies in

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Speaker 2: Auckland and Hamilton. However, the level of arthenak is it's

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Speaker 2: above what we've described as a maximum acceptable value, but

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Speaker 2: it's not at a level that we would suggest as

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Speaker 2: a significant health effect.

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Speaker 1: So the should people you to drink the water? If

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Speaker 1: the are in Hamilton or Orkland, should they drink the

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Speaker 1: water coming out of their taps?

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Speaker 2: So there's no health risk in drinking that water. What

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Speaker 2: we would expect is that both levels of arsenic would

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Speaker 2: reduce over time. So the maximum acceptable value for arsenic

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Speaker 2: is zero point zero one mares a leader, which is

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Speaker 2: an incredibly low amount, with single levels at about zero

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Speaker 2: point zero one three, which is largely above big acceptable

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Speaker 2: value for drinking water. So we're encouraging Water Care and

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Speaker 2: Hamilton City Council to communicate creatively with these people in

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Speaker 2: those areas just ensure that people are aware that there

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Speaker 2: are elevated levels of arsenic and the drinking water. But

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Speaker 2: to be quite clear that this is not a significant

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Speaker 2: public colfores.

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Speaker 1: Okay, Yes, well no, people keep drinking out of their taps,

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Speaker 1: absolutely fine, Yes, what about if they are in vulnerable

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Speaker 1: groups like maybe immunocompromise, pregnant little babies on bottles, older people.

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Speaker 2: Yes, let's keep think about the maximum acceptable value for

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Speaker 2: arsenic as it's designed for long term exposure, so it's

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Speaker 2: not on acute level unlike some other levels. You know,

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Speaker 2: if you exceed that level that has an immediate ALP effect.

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Speaker 2: That's not the case with these levels.

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Speaker 1: Okay, And how long has it been like this, Steve?

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Speaker 2: So we're not afraid of elevated levels today. So it's

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Speaker 2: a very short term situation where we've contacted the regional

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Speaker 2: council to try and understand what is the reason for

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Speaker 2: this change and source water as to say temporary event,

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Speaker 2: is it's something a broader concern around the river itself

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Speaker 2: and we'll be getting updates from the Regional Council on

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Speaker 2: that as they find out more.

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Speaker 1: And are you expecting because we've been trying to get

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Speaker 1: a hold of water Care for well over an hour

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Speaker 1: and now heard nothing, you expect them to actually pipe

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Speaker 1: up and say something.

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Speaker 2: Well, I'd certainly expect them to communicate proactively, so impant

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Speaker 2: that people to understand what's in the water and if

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Speaker 2: there's any risk at all, and that's well communicated.

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Speaker 1: Brilliant stuff, Steve Listen, thanks for your time, mate, appreciate that.

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Speaker 1: Steve Taylor, head of operations at Water Services Authority, took

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Speaker 1: about that otherwise. So just quick recap you so you

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Speaker 1: can drink the water that's coming out of your taps

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Speaker 1: if you're in Hamilton and Auckland, those are the affected

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Speaker 1: areas slightly slightly elevated levels of arsenic but as he

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Speaker 1: was saying, they normally would like it to be zero

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Speaker 1: point zero one milligrams per letter at zero point zero

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Speaker 1: one three, So it is okay and water Care needs

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Speaker 1: to say something. For more from Heather Duplessy, Allen Drive,

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