Long wait for updates after Queenstown water main bursts

The Queenstown Lakes District Council has been forced to supply a tanker of drinking water as an option for 300 properties along Queenstown's Frankton Road without tap water today.

Contractors have been working since first thing this morning to fix a burst water main that is the cause of the disruption.

Although a council spokesperson is unable to yet confirm why the rupture occurred, he says it is unrelated to work underway nearby to upgrade the main water pipe that runs along the Frankton Track.

He also says the incident is isolated from the Two Mile network, which in recent weeks has been flushed as part of the council's programme of work to upgrade that facility in the wake of the cryptosporidium outbreak.

In an update just after 3.30pm, the council has indicated a fix is expected in approximately two hours, meaning water should be reinstated to affected properties later this evening.

However, the update was long-overdue for many, some of whom took to the council's Facebook comments to voice their frustrations at what they claim to have been a lack of readily available information throughout the day.

"Queenstown Lakes District Council - ANSWER your phones and give people an update so plans can be made," one says.

"Can we get some sort of ETA please? Need to know if we need to book a motel for tonight as we have young children," and, "You need to be updating every one to two hours. Not that hard. We get better updates from the public," others say.

The council says the "water cart" is available on Perkins Road for those affected.

Water has been shut off between Larch Hill and Marina Drive.