1485 days ago

Coming on four years of chlorinating our waters

James from Parklands - Marshlands

Can you believe it has been four years since council decided as a precaution to chlorinate our water while they do the project of raising the well heads around Christchurch? The project is done, yet the chlorinating of our water hasn't.

Have you noticed your health suffering over the years since they started chlorinating the water?

> Itchy and dry skin,
> watery eyes in the morning,
> some time sharp milky yellow shards and other times acidic eye sleep,
> dehydration headaches even though you have drunk plenty of water,
> problems with stomach digestion, stomach pains, and soft stool,
> either new onset asthma or stronger more frequent asthma,
> feel like you are drinking pool water or just step out of a pool,

Well, then you likely are suffering from sensitivity now due to the chlorine and chloramine that has been added to our water supply. The argument that has been used around the world is that chlorine kills bad bacteria in water. The reality is it kills all bacteria, good, bad, it is indiscriminate and ingesting the water means you are damaging the good bacteria in your gut. The long term consequences can be mental fogginess, allergic reactions to things that used to not both you, skin problems, and a raft of other long term health problems.

I am the canary in a coal mine since I have a VP shunt which means my spinal fluid is drained and replenished from the water I drink every couple days, this means when I drink the chlorinated water, wash my hands, take a shower (which is effectively drinking 8-10 glasses of water), it results in a slow chemical burn in my brain (think bad rope burn, but over every inch of your head). It may affect me worse, but I am only one voice and I am sure these other symptoms are being felt throughout Christchurch.

The Ministry of Health has gotten out of the drinking water regulation game this last year and transferred it to Taumata Arowai. This has given us an opportunity to get our voices heard and to discuss what we want and expect in our drinking water. If you have noticed an effect, had to get a water filtration/purification system, or simply not want to keep on adding chemicals to our drinking water for generations to come, now is the time to let our voices be heard.

Click on the Public Comment link for hinekorako.taumataarowai.govt.nz...

To express your issues and concerns.

More messages from your neighbours
2 days ago

🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?

Do you think you know the answer?

Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.

Image
3 days ago

Some Choice News!

Kia pai from Sharing the Good Stuff

DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.

Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.

For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.

Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?

We hope this brings a smile!

Image
1 day ago

Poll: Canterbury is thriving on paper... but are you seeing evidence of Canterbury's improving economy?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

As reported in the Press, Reserve Bank Governor Anna Breman recently gave a shout-out to our region, calling Canterbury a "stand-out" for how we recover from tough times. With tech firms growing and exporters investing, the business side of things is looking bright!

👉 But we know that "business growth" doesn't always mean the weekly shop gets any cheaper. While the city expands, many families feel like they’re just trying to keep their heads above water.

We want to know: With the business buzz of 2026, do you feel like things are finally looking up for your household, or does it still feel like a climb?

Image
Canterbury is thriving on paper... but are you seeing evidence of Canterbury's improving economy?
  • 17.4% Yes
    17.4% Complete
  • 58.7% No
    58.7% Complete
  • 23.9% In some areas ...
    23.9% Complete
46 votes