Floodwaters from the Waipawa River swamped the Tikokino Road treatment plant during Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo: Central Hawke's Bay District Council
Residents in Ōtāne and Waipawa can now drink from their taps after a 26-day boil water notice was lifted.
The notice affected nearly 20 percent of residents in the Central Hawke's Bay district.
The treatment plant providing water to the area flooded during Cyclone Gabrielle but vital equipment is now back up and running.
Central Hawke's Bay mayor Alex Walker said people in the area had been incredibly patient in putting up with the restrictions.
"Boil water notices are so inconvenient in your home - and these families have gone through a lot already, many of them, with their properties being flooded - to then not be able to rely on those second-nature things where you turn the tap on to brush your teeth.
Central Hawke's Bay mayor Alex Walker at the site of the treatment plant. Photo: Screenshot / Central Hawke's Bay District Council
It had been burden for businesses such as cafes, she said.
"I don't even know if those 1200 hours count the commitment of our local operator who slept overnight next to the pumps to make sure that they were working.
"The commitment of our team has been next-level."
Pumps had been up and running for some time, so there was water in the taps, but it took a lot longer to get the treatment components working.
It was a great step in recovering from the cyclone, but there were big challenges ahead.
Farmers were grappling with how to contain livestock on properties with extensive damage to fencing, tracks and yards.
The region's 1265km of road had been "absolutely hammered".
"Council priority is about how we get at least single lane access for a truck to get to those properties to be able to move stock.
Early funding from MPI was a welcome shot of confidence but a small drop in the bucket when it came to costs farmers were facing.
"But the confidence to move forward has been really, really helpful."
Support announced for community groups and for waste management, and promised funding from Waka Kotahi, will be crucial for smaller councils she said.
Water treatment components of the Tikokino Road plant were up and running four weeks after the cyclone. Photo: Central Hawke's Bay District Council
Cyclone Gabrielle breached stopbanks in 30 places across the Hawke's Bay region, most on the Tūtaekurī and Ngaruroro Rivers between Napier and Hastings, and including five on the Waipawa River.
