Updated 2.15PM, Monday 24 July

River flows have dropped overnight and our roading teams are moving around the district assessing damage. There may still be surface flooding in some areas and motorists are urged to take care.

Council staff and contractors are busy working on roads within the district, please visit the Council’s road closure web page for the latest information Ashburton District Council Live Road Closure Map

NZ Transport Agency reopened the Ashburton River/Hakatere Bridge on SH1 following a precautionary closure overnight.

Ashburton Civil Defence's Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) monitored the situation overnight and is now dealing with issues on a business-as-usual basis.

Mayor Neil Brown said drivers should take extra care on the roads, as the floodwaters had caused scouring in some areas.

"We encourage them to slow down and drive to the conditions as there’s still a lot of water lying around and there may be hidden hazards.”

Please report issues using the Send Snap Solve app, or contact our Customer Services team on 307 7700.

Council is also urging residents cleaning up after the weekend’s heavy rain to treat any flood water as contaminated.

Always assume that all flood water is potentially contaminated with farm run-off, faecal matter from animals and sewage.

The best advice is to keep away from flood waters and use only a clean water supply for drinking, cooking and washing. Handwashing is always important to help prevent the spread of disease.

Drinking Water - Mt Somers & Methven Water Supplies

A precautionary boil water notice was issued on Sunday afternoon for the Mt Somers and Methven Water Supplies, due to high turbidity in the schemes.

Residents on the supplies are advised to boil drinking water, water used in food preparation, and for hygiene purposes for at least one minute.

A water tanker with fresh water is available at the Methven Medical Centre for residents to fill containers. Water tanks are also at Mt Somers Springburn School and at the Mt Somers fire station.

The precautionary boil water notices will remain in place until further advised.

Local Road Closures

Council staff and contractors are busy working on roads within the district, please visit the Council’s road closure web page for the latest information.

• The latest road information is available here - view current closures.

River Levels & Flood Warnings

All the rivers flows dropped overnight.

Rubbish & Recycling Kerbside Collections

Kerbside collections are operating normally, residents should put out their bins as usual. Any changes will be advised on the Council website.

School Closures

Parents should check with their children's school for any updates around closures.

Find Out More

Civil Defence will continue to monitor conditions overnight and release updates on the Ashburton District Council website and Facebook page as required.

• Ashburton District Council Live Road Closure Map
• Waka Kotahi - NZTA South Island - https://www.facebook.com/nztasouthisland
• Ashburton District Council Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/AshburtonDC
• Environment Canterbury Flood Warnings - https://www.ecan.govt.nz/home/alpine-riverbed-alert/
• MetService Weather Warnings - https://www.metservice.com/warnings/home
• To opt-in to the Council's free SMS/text alert service, text your postcode to the number 4196

Assistance

• For emergencies, please call 111 first to access emergency services.
• For all other urgent enquiries, contact the Council's After Hours on 03 307 7700.
• If you are feeling anxious or need someone to talk to, free call or text 1737 for support.