A restaurant in Napier has given up on serving tap water to its customers due to chlorination levels in the local water supply. Shaun Bates, manager of the award-winning Indigo Restaurant, has had to install a water filter and buy boxed water specifically for drinks.
“The last thing you want to be doing is pouring chlorinated water into a $25 glass of whisky which will just completely ruin it,” he said. “If someone wants a pure drink from a collection like that, you don't want contaminated water ruining it.”
The chlorination is a recent change, spurred on by the Havelock North water crisis in 2016.
"A few years ago Napier promoted itself for its water. It was one of the last places you could turn on the tap and the water quality was better than the filtered water, now that's completely gone. It's not the best water in the country anymore.”
“There are lots of other restaurants and cafes have to think about their plumbing-ware and put in filters so their customers are happy.”
The Napier City Council said that it has received 11 complaints from residents since the change was made, although none have come from commercial properties.
