Hamilton boil water notice

The story so far

Hamilton City Council issued a boil water notice for the Rototuna area after E. coli was found in a routine test of the Rototuna reservoir.^{4 Oct 2025} The notice covered about 29,000 residents in north-east Hamilton and nearby rural areas and was to stay in effect until at least Tuesday.^{5 Oct 2025} Recent samples had come back clear, but authorities required three consecutive clean tests before lifting the notice.^{5 Oct 2025} The notice was lifted on 6 October after three days of clear tests, covering north-east Hamilton and parts of the Waikato District.^{7 Oct 2025}

Latest

The boil water notice has been lifted for north-east Hamilton and parts of the Waikato District. Residents are advised to run cold taps for five minutes before normal use.^{7 Oct 2025}

Key moments

1. 4 Oct 2025E. coli detected in routine test of Rototuna reservoir; boil water notice issued.
2. 5 Oct 2025Notice affects about 29,000 residents; three consecutive clean tests required to lift it.
3. 7 Oct 2025Notice lifted after three days of clear tests in north-east Hamilton and Waikato.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.