A Boil Water Notice is now in place for Wainui on Banks Peninsula after flooding caused damage to the local water supply infrastructure.

Until council staff can fully assess what has happened and confirm that the water remains safe, the notice will stay in place.

“At this stage we have not confirmed contamination, but the damage from the flooding means we cannot guarantee water safety. The notice has been issued to protect public health” a council spokesperson said.

“All water used for drinking, preparing food, brushing teeth, washing utensils or making ice should be boiled until further notice. Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute is enough to kill bacteria.

“Water does not need to be boiled for showering, bathing or laundry, but please take care not to swallow water while showering.

Our teams are on the ground in Wainui today, and are assessing the extent of the flooding related damage to the water supply system. Until we have more information, the boil water notice will remain in place.‑related damage to the water supply system. Until we have more information, the boil water notice will remain in place.”

Christchurch Streets flooded

Streets across Christchurch have flooded, as the region braces for more heavy rain, with parts of the Heathcote River overflowing.

Council contractors have been placed on alert as sections of the Heathcote River on the eastern side of the city spilled over its banks.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand said firefighters rescued four people from a car trapped in floodwaters at Wairewa Marae in Little River at about 8.40am.

They were taken safely to the local station.

Overnight, two other people were helped from their vehicles after driving into floodwaters during the deluge affecting Banks Peninsula.

An orange heavy rain warning remains in place for Banks Peninsula until 6pm today, with another 60 to 80 millimetres of rain expected on top of what has already fallen. There is a moderate chance the warning could be upgraded to red.

Akaroa remains cut off, with State Highway 75, also known as Christchurch Akaroa Road, closed due to flooding and slips.

MetService meteorologist John Law told chrislynchmedia.com, parts of Banks Peninsula had already recorded close to 290 millimetres of rain in the past 36 hours, describing it as a significant event for February.

“To put that into context, places like Christchurch normally see around 30 millimetres for the entire month,” Law said.

He said the low pressure system driving the event remained east of the country, pushing moist winds up against Banks Peninsula, intensifying rainfall in those areas.

“We’re going to keep hold of that heavy rainfall warning through into the evening before things start to ease,” Law said. “Another 70 to 80 millimetres is not out of the question.”

While Christchurch has experienced steady rain and strong southwesterlies, Law said Banks Peninsula has taken the worst of the system, with the terrain effectively trapping the moisture.

Conditions are expected to gradually improve later today as the system slowly pulls away, although authorities are urging motorists to avoid flooded roads and take extreme care.

Residents in affected areas have been asked to report significant hazards and share information with emergency services as the clean up continues.