The owner of a Havelock North daycare centre is pleading for the council's help to calm fears among young children over drinking water.

The issue was raised during last night's public meeting in the township, after more than 5000 people became ill due to contaminated water earlier this month.

LISTEN ABOVE: Newstalk ZB reporter Annette Hilton attended the meeting and spoke to Rachel Smalley this morning

Owner of the childcare centre, Paul told the crowd that he has petrified children who need help.

"I've got 100 under-five year olds who are scared to drink water out of a tap, so are you going to have a programme in place to educate these children?"

Hastings District Council CEO Ross McLeod responded, saying the council will look into it.

Frustrations flared at how authorities communicated the outbreak, and messages of what to do, following it.

Newstalk ZB Reporter Annette Hilton told Rachel Smalley residents were originally told not to drink water via Facebook, on a Friday night.

"There were a lot of elderly at this meeting and they said, well they don't have Facebook. They don't have the Internet, and a lot of young also too don't have Facebook. How did you expect us to know. One lady said she was told by a checkout operator at the supermarket, two days later."

Havelock North residents will soon be able to stop boiling their drinking water.

Hastings District Council CEO Ross McLeod said lifting the boil water notice has been a key priority, and that should happen tomorrow.

"We're waiting for the test results to come back and sign off from our health colleagues on the test results and on the plan. We will be advising people through media and other channels when we lift the water notice."

Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule said they've simply not been able to find out how Havelock North's water supply became contaminated.

Mr Yule told Mike Hosking he's trying to get answers for residents.

"We just haven't been able to find the source. There's a lot of work going on. A huge amount of work at the moment and we know that somehow the aquifer around the bores have become contaminated or somehow the bores have. A deep forensic investigation will occur."

The mayor told Mike Hosking he's simply been trying to get the community through a very difficult situation.

"They will choose at the ballot box whether they like how I've handled it or not and I'll accept the result."

Two candidates are challenging Mr Yule, who's seeking his sixth term.

A second public meeting will be held in Havelock North tonight.