Boil Water Notice Issued for Roxburgh and Lake Roxburgh Village
Thursday 12 February, 10.30am
Boil Water Notice Lifted for Roxburgh and Lake Roxburgh Village
The boil water notice issued for Roxburgh and Lake Roxburgh Village on 11 February 2026 has been lifted, effective immediately.
Overnight, three times the volume of the water network was flushed through the system, drawing clean water from the unimpacted temporary reservoir. Testing completed this morning confirms that water quality parameters are fully compliant and the water supply is safe to drink.
The reservoir where a deceased possum was identified will remain isolated until full disinfection has been completed and any identified entry points have been addressed.
As a precaution, residents are advised to flush their internal taps by running cold water for a few minutes to ensure fresh water is drawn through household plumbing.
Water tankers stationed at Roxburgh Area School and Lake Roxburgh Village Hall will be removed later today, along with public signage advising of the boil water notice.
“We thank the Roxburgh and Lake Roxburgh Village communities for their patience and cooperation while this notice was in place,” said Julie Muir, CODC Group Manager – Three Waters.
“Public health is a top priority, and we appreciate the community’s understanding while we work to ensure the water supply is safe.”
Routine monitoring of the water supply will continue, and the water regulator Taumata Arowai has been kept informed throughout the process.
Residents are encouraged to share this update with tenants, neighbours, household members and others who may not have received this notice directly.
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Boil Water Notice Issued for Roxburgh and Lake Roxburgh Village
During an unrelated inspection of the Roxburgh reservoir today (11 February 2026), we identified a deceased possum. It is not known how long the possum was in the reservoir, but continuous monitoring at the reservoir outlet has not shown any indication of degraded water quality.
Users connected to the Roxburgh and Lake Roxburgh Village water supply must boil all water used for:
• Drinking water
• Brushing teeth
• Preparing food including washing fruits and vegetables
• Making ice, baby formula, juice, and cold beverages.
Two water tankers will be available for the community with fresh drinking water, from approximately 5.30pm today at:
- Roxburgh Area school
- Lake Roxburgh Village Hall
The water supply distribution network is sampled 3 times every week year-round and has also not shown an indication of degraded water quality. The flushing currently underway is to make sure that any water that is in the network that came out of the impacted reservoir is removed before we lift the boil water notice.
The reservoir was isolated when the possum was identified. A full investigation is being undertaken to identify how the possum entered the reservoir. The reservoir will remain isolated until full disinfection has been completed, and any identified entry points addressed.
Routine inspections of the reservoir occur at least monthly.
“We know any boil water notice is an inconvenience to our communities, but we must be sure the water is safe to drink. We’ll lift it as soon as the network has been fully refreshed, which may be as early as tomorrow (12 February 2026)”, said Julie Muir, CODC Group Manager – Three Waters.
How to boil water for drinking:
• Bring water to a rolling boil (where bubbles appear and do not disappear when the water is stirred) for one minute or boil a full electric jug until it switches off.
• Cool the water (do not use ice cubes to do this) and pour it into a clean container with a lid.
• Refrigerate until needed.
Residents are encouraged to share this information with tenants, household members and others who may not have received this advisory directly.
The water regulator Taumata Arowai has been notified.
