Hamner Springs. Photo: 123RF
A North Canterbury campground at the centre of a gastroenteritis outbreak has reported three instances of E.coli contamination in less than a year.
The water regulator Taumata Arowai says the Hanmer Springs Forest Camp's drinking water supply was the likely source of illness that has seen six children hospitalised.
There were 10 confirmed cases and 37 probable cases of STEC (shiga toxin producing E.coli), a bacteria that can cause severe illness, especially in children or the elderly.
The National Public Health Service has confirmed three schools are linked to the outbreak.
Medical officer of health Dr Cheryl Brunton said of the 47 suspected and confirmed cases, 40 were children.
All six hospitalised were children, Brunton said.
The regulator's spokesman, Steve Taylor, said Taumata Arowai issued a direction to the camp on 17 September, which required a boil water notice be put in place and that every visitor be advised that drinking water was or could be unsafe.
"That direction will remain in place until such time as we're satisfied that there is safe drinking water being made available," Taylor said.
The camp is one of an unknown number of unregistered supplies around the country.
Estimates varied widely, but it's thought there could be between 8000 and 75,000 unregistered water schemes in the country.
Under legislation introduced in 2021, they have until 2028 to register with Taumata Arowai and abide by testing and monitoring rules.
Hurunui District Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said he wasn't aware of any previous E.coli issues at the campground.
"It's a private supply so it doesn't fall under our jurisdiction until there's a problem," Dobbie said.
He said the council had been in touch with the camp about what assistance it might need to improve the water supply.
But data from Taumata Arowai showed the camp's water breached E.coli limits in samples from October 2024 and February 2025.
The regulator said it did not have information available from prior to its creation in 2021.
RNZ has approached Hanmer Springs Forest Camp for comment.
'They had to put a tube through her nose into her stomach'
John and Sue Warwick's 10-year-old daughter Yanni spent 10 days in hospital.
The Warwicks said her health worsened after she returned from camp, and she was hospitalised three days later, with a fever and bloody diarrhoea.
"She wasn't eating so they had to put a tube through her nose into her stomach and feed her that way," John Warwick said.
Tests confirmed the girl was suffering from STEC.
Another girl became so sick she needed a blood transfusion.
Her parent, who RNZ agreed not to name, said their daughter was also diagnosed with STEC.
Doctors told her parents that had she been any sicker, she would have had to spend six weeks at Starship Hospital undergoing dialysis.
The 10-year-old's family was frustrated other schools went to the camp after their daughter fell ill, and angry about what she had to go through.
"Me and my ex are very upset and a bit angry really that the kids were allowed to go there, because we could still be up at Starship.
"It's not a nice thing to go through to see your daughter suffer like that."
The National Public Health Service was advised of the outbreak on 15 September.
But even after the camp's water supply was assessed to be the most likely source, on 17 September, further children became ill.
"Unfortunately, additional cases were identified after 17 September as one school group arrived before the boil water advisory was in effect," Brunton said.
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