Residents in the Hawke’s Bay coastal town of Waimarama are being told to boil their water, after tests today showed low levels of E-coli bacteria in the public water supply.

People who take their water from the Hastings District Council town supply have been advised to boil the water before using it for drinking, cleaning teeth, making ice, washing dishes and preparing food.

The council is the focus of a public inquiry into how campylobacter got into their water supply last year.