Schools, hospital among providers of drinking water that's not demonstrably safe

More than one million New Zealanders are regularly drinking water that is not demonstrably safe to drink, an issue that makes tens of thousands of people sick each year and would cost billions of dollars to address, Government documents show.

Among the suppliers known to be failing their legal requirements are schools, a hospital, a Government agency, and numerous local authorities.

A series of Cabinet papers regarding the Government's planned reform of the drinking water sector, as well as years of compliance records, show the existing system is dysfunctional, with basic data unavailable and public health left in the hands of small community groups, private companies, and under-resourced councils. Read more