The below statement can be attributed to Leigh Marsh, Commissioner Custodial Services:

Corrections has advised a small number of neighbouring properties at Christchurch Men’s Prison to temporarily stop using private bore water for drinking and cooking as a precaution after diesel entered the ground at the prison. This does not impact residents in the area on town water supply and it does not impact anyone in the wider Christchurch area.

Approximately 40 properties were identified as potentially being on private bore water and have been visited this afternoon. Not all these properties had residents living there, and some properties are on town supply so are not affected. Bottled water has been provided to those residents who requested it.

We encourage all those who have been contacted by us to follow the advice of the National Public Health Service and Environment Canterbury in relation to the use of water for drinking and cooking. This advice was provided directly to neighbours by Corrections’ staff this evening.

If a property has not been visited by Corrections, or had a letter left in their absence, they are able to continue using their bore water.

On 25 May 2025, a significant amount of diesel exited one of the prison’s fuel tanks, which resulted in diesel entering the ground below one of our buildings. Corrections immediately engaged with technical experts who began testing nearby bores, with all prior results returning negative results.

We also notified key agencies including Environment Canterbury, Taumata Arowai, and Fire & Emergency NZ.

On 6 June 2025, we received a positive result on one of the tests taken from a bore approximately 200 metres outside of the prison perimeter.

As a result, we have visited approximately 40 properties – by door knocking and leaving a letter with further information – and have advised a small number of occupied properties that they should stop using water from their private bores, and use water from other sources. Corrections will be working with these residents directly to provide an alternate source if they do not already have one.

These properties have been identified as their bores are situated downgradient from where the diesel has entered the ground.

If a property has not been visited by Corrections, or had a letter left in their absence, they are able to continue using their bore water. As previously mentioned, this does not impact residents in the area on town water supply and it does not impact anyone in the wider Christchurch area.

While Corrections has received a positive result, we are continuing to undertake further testing and analysis. We will continue to keep impacted residents updated.

Notes:

  • The town water supply is not affected.
  • All tests to date have returned a negative result, apart from the result we received on 6 June 2025, which confirmed the presence of dissolved hydrocarbons in the bore approximately 200 metres outside of Christchurch Men’s Prison.
  • The nearest residential-use bore is approximately 1.4kms from where the diesel entered the ground.
  • We are undertaking additional tests to confirm the result, and will keep impact neighbours updated.
  • Of those properties that were visited this evening, many were vacant, and the large majority were using the town water supply, not bore water.