Ten years on from Havelock North, New Zealand's drinking water system is stronger and safer

Ten years after the Havelock North drinking water campylobacter contamination incident, New Zealand has fundamentally transformed the way drinking water is regulated and managed, resulting in safer drinking water for hundreds of thousands more people.

The 2016 contamination event resulted in more than 5,000 people falling ill and four deaths, exposing significant weaknesses in New Zealand's drinking water system, and led to a national inquiry. The changes that followed have reshaped the country's approach to drinking water safety.

Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai Chief Executive Allan Prangnell said the anniversary is first and foremost an opportunity to acknowledge the impact that tragic event had on the Havelock North community, but it is also an opportunity to reflect on what New Zealand has learned and what has changed as a result.

"Havelock North was a tragedy and a turning point for drinking water safety in New Zealand. It highlighted the consequences when risks are not adequately managed and demonstrated the need for stronger oversight and accountability across the drinking water system.

"Ten years on, New Zealand has an active and effective drinking water regulator looking out for the safety of your drinking water, more comprehensive standards and rules that are being enforced, greater transparency and a clearer understanding of risks across the system.

“Most importantly, hundreds of thousands more New Zealanders are now receiving safer drinking water as a direct result of improvements made since the Authority was established in 2021,” says Mr Prangnell.

The Authority has developed a national drinking water regulatory system, including Drinking Water Standards, Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules, and stronger regulatory oversight through active monitoring and enforcement.

A major focus has been ensuring public drinking water supplies have essential multiple treatment barriers in place to protect against harmful microorganisms. These public supplies serve 84% of New Zealanders. In late 2023, the Authority identified 98 council-operated supplies serving over half a million people that lacked one or more of these critical barriers.

Through regulatory action and ongoing engagement, more than 433,000 people are now receiving safer drinking water as councils have installed additional protections.

As part of this process, 491 more small, rural communities representing around 48,000 people have also started treating their drinking water using our new affordable Acceptable Solutions. These systems treat drinking water at the point it enters the household, providing a practical and cost-effective way to improve water safety.

The Authority has also improved visibility of drinking water risks through annual public reporting of the performance of water networks, strengthened expectations of suppliers to identify and manage risks, and enforcement action taken where necessary to protect public health.

While significant progress has been made, Allan Prangnell said the work is not complete.

"Safe drinking water is not something that can ever be taken for granted. New risks emerge, infrastructure ages, communities grow and environmental conditions change. Maintaining public confidence in drinking water requires ongoing monitoring, investment and continuous improvement.

"Looking ahead, the Authority will increase its focus on supporting smaller and community-owned supplies, driving greater consistency and capability across the sector, and providing stronger system leadership to improve outcomes for consumers.

“The Authority has also been entrusted with protecting the public interests beyond drinking water, stepping up to take on system oversight and leadership across wastewater and stormwater performance as well. This places the Authority in a unique position of looking across the full picture of these services New Zealanders rely on, and forming a comprehensive view of what is working, and what might need more focus.

"The lessons learned since Havelock North are also informing our wider work across the water sector where we are applying the same focus on risk management, system performance and public confidence.

"The changes made over the past decade have created a much stronger foundation for drinking water safety. Our focus now is ensuring those gains are sustained and that all communities have access to safe and reliable water services," says Allan Prangnell.

Background

• Government inquiry into Havelock North Drinking Wateroutbound
• The Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai became New Zealand's drinking water regulator in November 2021.
• The Authority’s Drinking Water Standards and Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules came into effect in 2022.
• Annual drinking water reports have been published since 2022 to provide transparency and visibility of drinking water performance and risks across New Zealand.
• More than 481,000 people are receiving safer drinking water due to the installation of additional treatment barriers and use of end-point Acceptable Solutions.