Article – Moana Ellis – Local Democracy ReporterAugust 10, 2026King Country, Taranaki, WhanganuiOhakune’s reservoir had nearly run dry when residents learned of a broken water pipeline underground. The town’s reservoir fell to 12% before residents were alerted on Saturday, but had drained completely by Sunday. However, further technical analysis found that repressurising the raw water pipeline too quickly could damage it and cause even longer delays. A magnitude 5.9 earthquake near Taumarunui on July 25 is thought to have damaged pipes carrying raw water to Ohakune’s treatment plant. Kirton said although the break was fixed on Friday, reservoir levels could not be replenished because of air blockages preventing raw water from reaching the Water Treatment Plant.