Kāeo drinking water supply options to be explored with Far North District Council

The Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai is convening discussions between the Far North District Council and Wai Care Environmental Consultants Whangaroa (Wai Care) to address longstanding issues with the Kāeo drinking water supply.

“There is a need to proactively explore a range of options to deliver safe drinking water for the community, and we are bringing together the provider and the council to work through this and find a way forward,” says Steve Taylor, Head of Operations for the Authority.

In August, the Authority requested the supplier, Wai Care, provide a funded plan to address long-standing safety issues that have resulted in a boil water advisory being in place for more than 10 years. The Authority considers Wai Care’s response does not address fundamental safety concerns.

“We engaged with the supplier to come up with a plan to deliver safe drinking water to its customers, but ultimately the plan showed a need to take the next step and bring other parties around the table to find a reasonable solution for this community.”

Although the council is not the drinking water supplier for Kāeo, the Authority is calling for collaborative discussions as part of the council’s duty to ensure communities within its region have access to safe drinking water when a supplier is facing a significant problem.

“This is a rare step for the Authority to call on a council’s duties under the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025 and follows extensive engagement with the private supplier. Boil water advisories are intended to be a temporary safety measure, not a long-term fix. Both the Authority and the community want to see a resolution that provides safe drinking water.

“While this may not be a quick fix, we will continue working alongside Far North District Council and the supplier to secure a safe drinking water solution for Kāeo,” says Steve Taylor.