Residents in the Hawke's Bay community of Waimarama are being told to boil their water before drinking it after water tests showed low levels of E.coli in the public supply.

Residents in the coastal town get their water from the Hastings District Council town supply.

Council staff are working to discover the source of the contamination and will keep the residents informed of progress.

In August last year there were 168 confirmed cases and 355 suspected cases of campylobacteriosis, and about 4,500 people were affected by contaminated water in Havelock North. There is a government inquiry into that event.