The crisis began with damage caused by the magnitude 5.9 earthquake near Taumarunui on 25 July, which fractured the underground raw water pipeline supplying Ohakune’s Water Treatment Plant. But fixing the original earthquake damage did not end the problem. Technical complications during the repair and restoration process prevented raw water from properly reaching the treatment plant, while the town’s treated-water reserves were placed under severe pressure. The subsequent failure of Ohakune’s raw water pipeline has shown that some infrastructure damage can take considerably longer to emerge. The district has long recognised the risks earthquakes and other geological events pose to local water infrastructure.