Murupara residents are advised to boil all water after routine testing has revealed elevated levels of e-coli in the drinking water supply.

Murupara Area School said in a social media post some students and staff had been “vomiting due to water pollution.”

“The Ministry of Education has advised the school can be open tomorrow only on the proviso that students bring plenty of boiled water with them,” the post said.

“No boiled water means they cannot come to school. Please be aware we already have some students and teachers vomiting due to the water pollution. We are worried that this could spread throughout the school.

“Make sure to keep safe by boiling your water. As always, our priority is the health and safety of our tamariki.”

Whakatane District Council said all water in the town used for drinking, making baby formula, juice, ice, washing fruit and vegetables, other food preparation/cooking needs, or brushing teeth should be boiled.

The boil water notice will be in place until further notice the council said.

Council dosed the water supply with a hypochloride solution this afternoon on Thursday afternoon but cannot lift the boil water notice until there have been at least three consecutive days of clear test results.

De’Cafe Murupara employee Oru Waititi said the cafe was boiling water and cooling it for drinking.

”We’re just boiling it and if anyone asks, we’ve got water boiled for them,” Waititi said.

”It doesn’t take long.”

How to boil water for drinking:

• Boiling will kill all disease-causing organisms.
• Bring water to a rolling boil (where bubbles appear in the centre and do not disappear when the water is stirred) for two minutes or boil a full electric jug until it switches off
• Cool water (do not use ice cubes to do this) and pour into clean container with a lid
• Refrigerate until needed.

The area of Murupara affected is within these blue lines.