Water New Zealand says Taumata Arowai’s drinking water quality reports released today show that many communities
continue to be supplied with unsafe drinking water.
Technical lead - projects and sustainability, Lesley Smith says the water services regulator's findings are a clear
indication that many suppliers are still struggling to supply safe drinking water and meet water quality regulations.
The Taumata Arowai reports reveal that last year up to 489,000 people received drinking water from councils where there
was inadequate protozoa protection and up to 25,000 people received water that lacked a bacteria barrier.
“Our members have known for a long time that too many councils are struggling to meet safe water quality standards and
that there is an urgent need for more capacity in the sector.
“We welcome these reports because it is important to build up a comprehensive picture of the entire water system and to
focus on areas where there is a need for further attention.
“For instance, the Drinking Water Regulation Report 2023 points to the gap in the safety of drinking water supplied to
many of the country’s schools that manage their own water supply.
“It found that 95 percent of school supplies need significant infrastructure upgrades while 87 percent of schools are
not compliant because they have failed to prepare a drinking water safety plan or follow an acceptable solution.
“Around 45,000 students from across the country attend these schools. All these children ought to be able to drink water
from taps and fountains that is knowingly safe to drink. Shining a spotlight on this issue has meant that the Ministry
of Education is now taking steps to address this.”
The report also found high levels of E. coli reported in source water samples from surface water and there were some
reports of E. coli in groundwater.
“These findings indicate why it is important to have a strong regulatory environment that protects all water sources.”
See the reports