976 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
3 hours ago

$50 garden centre vouchers!

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Our winners this week have won $50 to spend at a local garden centre.
Congratulations to:

Cassie Arauzo from Cockle Bay

Elizabeth Williams from Hillcrest

Luke Shamy from Hornby

Mitchell Hopping from Wallacetown

Get in touch with our helpdesk team here if you're on this list! If you're not a winner, check back next week just in case.

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11 days ago

Kalle

The Team from Humans of Christchurch Ōtautahi

"Sports and travelling run in the family, and that's kind of what's led me to come to New Zealand."

"I grew up in a small town in Finland. My dad was involved with sports all his life, he was a shot putter, discus thrower, powerlifter, we traveled quite a bit when I was a kid. He never mentioned much of the rugby days. He just said he broke both of his shin bones playing rugby, so he said, ‘never play the sport, It's crazy.’

I started playing when I was 18. I played my first cap for the Finnish national team in 2014, we won the Finnish championship with my club. Rugby is not a big thing in Finland.

I moved here to play rugby in 2017. The club that wanted me to come over was Methven Rugby Club. They got me here and they were like, ‘what do you do for work? I’d just finished chef school in Finland. ‘We'll get you a job at Mount Hutt as a chef, you can do that while you play rugby with us.’ I said, ‘Perfect. Yeah, I'm in’.

I've always loved food. My mum was an amazing cook, and still is. When I was studying tourism I worked in some hotels in Finland, and I saw how the chef's worked. I just loved the kitchen vibe and I was like, Yeah, that’d be something I'd love to do.

I've had more of a culinary journey In New Zealand than in Finland. I started at Mount Hutt, after that I worked at The Dubliner in Methven. I worked as a senior pizza chef at Sal’s for maybe six months then worked as chef de partie at Cellar Door. At Eliza's Manor, I worked myself up to a junior sous chef. Then the opportunity came to work my first head chef job at Moon Under Water.

We're privileged to have a busy atmosphere, we can try new things and get a bit creative. There are no TV’s, just come here with your family or with your mates, play board games, to socialise.

I really want to drive the local food and ingredients through the menu. We don't mind spending more for quality ingredients as long as it's supporting New Zealand businesses. We just love to use local. And it's pub food, but I feel like it's elevated.

I play club rugby here for the Christchurch Football Club, the oldest club in New Zealand and I still play regularly for the Finnish national team, whenever they can fly me over to play."

- Kalle

View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......

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1 day ago

Poll: Is it okay to grocery shop in your PJs?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

I'm sure you've seen it while doing your weekly shop... In fact, it may have even been you.

What do you think about people heading to the supermarket in their pyjamas?

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Is it okay to grocery shop in your PJs?
  • 14.4% It's fine!
    14.4% Complete
  • 75% It's questionable
    75% Complete
  • 10.6% Other - I'll share below
    10.6% Complete
1628 votes