Almost one-third of Manawatu¯ ’s drinking water supply needs immediate work to fix potential risks to public health, an independent report has found.
Chlorine is very good at killing bugs that can kill us - listen to Water New Zealand CEO Gillian Blythe explain why it's so important to have multiple barriers against drinking water contamination, including residual disinfectant, right to the tap.
Stormwater catchpits, drains and pipes across Auckland during Tuesday’s heavy rain and subsequent flooding were at capacity, the council has said.
Planners are working on a national approach for improving how cities and towns manage stormwater runoff to minimise flood damage.
Stormwater was incredibly damaging in the Auckland anniversary day floods and Cyclone Gabrielle in February.
Wellington Water’s new chief executive, Tonia Haskell, has Three Waters reform on her mind.
A leak in Roseneath is sending thousands of litres of water down the drain, according to one local resident’s estimates.
Whole regions have had their Covid-19 wastewater testing affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and further severe weather, causing “gaps in the data”.
Two extreme and deadly weather events within the first two months of 2023 have brought the consequences of climate change into sharp focus. Perhaps not surprisingly, there is now a lot more talk about the need for “sponge cities”, with Auckland being a prime candidate.
The Grey District Council has been assured the proximity of a dump taking asbestos and toxic material to the Greymouth water treatment plant poses little risk.
Chlorine will not be removed from a large chunk of Christchurch’s water for at least five years, according to a new report.
Temporary chlorination will continue throughout most of Selwyn – including in Rolleston, Lincoln and Darfield – after a bid to halt it failed.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) Community Fund is now open for community conservation groups undertaking critical, grassroots work to support Aotearoa’s biodiversity strategy.
More than 110 scientists and regulators worldwide are raising a public alarm over what they label “weak” PFAS drinking water limits proposed by the World Health Organization.
A decision on fluoridating Christchurch’s water has been delayed until at least April despite calls for urgency in the face of concerns at childhood tooth decay.
The Finance and Expenditure Select Committee this afternoon reported back on the Water Services Entities Bill. See the Minister’s media release and the Select Committee report.
"It costs a lot of money to make sure the water you drink is safe and it costs a lot of money to ensure that when you flush the toilet or empty the water in the sink … that waste is being managed in a way that is appropriate,” says Water New Zealand CEO Gillian Blythe.
A report in Stuff says that the Wellington region is fast running out of water and “severe” water restrictions are “probable” over summer, Wellington Water has warned local councils in a stark report.
Taumata Arowai have published new Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules, which set out what drinking water suppliers need to do to comply with key parts of the Drinking Water Standards and other requirements under the Water Services Act 2021.
The new Rules come into effect on 14 November 2022.
The Water Services Entities Bill which paves the way for the establishment of the four new regionally-based water entities passed its First Reading in Parliament yesterday.
Fluoride should be back in Wellington’s drinking water by September, months after fluoridation facilities at the capital’s water treatment plants were turned off.
Water industry players have been urged to stay closely engaged with the legislative process for enabling the controversial Three Waters reforms, which will set up four big entities to run water services.
Local Government minister Nanaia Mahuta has taken a moment during a Christchurch speech to “dispel some mistruths” about the controversial three waters reforms she is leading.
Mahuta gave a keynote address and hosted a short Q&A at Water New Zealand’s Stormwater conference in Christchurch on Wednesday.
Over 80% of Auckland’s rivers have high levels of E coli, which could pose widespread human health risks, an expert says.
An annual Auckland Council report, covering the year 2020, tested for E coli, nitrates, metals and rainfall levels.
The Government's been under pressure to explain what it means by co-governance in the wake of its water and health reforms.
But as former Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Chris Finlayson explains, the concept itself is nothing new.
A new waste treatment plant, which will dramatically reduce volumes of sludge being disposed of at Wellington’s Southern Landfill, is expected to be funded through new ratepayer levies.
The latest report card on New Zealand’s water has been released, with the Mackenzie district standing out for all the wrong reasons.
Mackenzie’s average daily residential water use is far and away the highest of the 40 councils that provided information to Water New Zealand’s National Performance Review 2020 – 2021.
Forget about putting bigger pipes underground to stop a repeat of the damaging flash flooding that hit Auckland last week.
In most cases, it wouldn’t have made a difference, says flood expert Jon Rix, the head of the water engineering team at environmental and engineering consultancy Tonkin + Taylor.
Today is World Water Day 2022 and the theme is Groundwater. Out of sight, under our feet, groundwater is a hidden treasure that enriches our lives but it is under serious stress due to over-use and other human activities on the land.
To mark World Water Day, we have launched our new podcast series: Tāwara o te Wai - Water Talk.
In our first episode, Water New Zealand chief executive, Gillian Blythe talks to three groundwater experts Louise Weaver from ESR, Geoff Williams from Wellington Water and Koos Wieriks from the Netherlands.
We're underway - today's Taumata Arowai/DIA pre conference workshop signals the start of the Water New Zealand Conference and Expo - Part One is launched tomorrow - there's plenty happening.
See more and take a look at our programme
Mihi mai ki a Dr Te Kīpa Kēpa Morgan, a professional engineer, who’s inspiring a different value system that he says can help humanity thrive and safeguard the sustainability of our planet.
Wellington Water has launched an independent review of its wastewater treatment operations.
The chief executive of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS), Alan Sutherland, explains how economic and water quality regulation along with structural reform, has benefitted Scotland.
Hopes of a chlorine-free Christmas for some Christchurch residents may be dashed as health authorities have refused to sign off a plan detailing the safety of the city's water supply.
Taumata Arowai has launched its new website in the latest step towards becoming a new fully-functioning drinking water regulator.
The new Crown entity will take over from the Ministry of Health as the regulator of drinking water for Aotearoa in the second half of 2021. As well it will have an oversight role for waste and stormwater.
Independent experts have been appointed to the government's rapid review into lead contamination in east Otago's drinking water.
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta says councils can take stronger action against companies dumping contaminated waste water, even though they have identified loopholes in the law on fines.
Bringing New Zealand’s water services up to scratch could cost $50 billion over three decades, new research suggests.
Papers released on the proposed major reforms of drinking water, stormwater and wastewater infrastructure reveal the expected costs of tougher standards and years of underfunding.
The Water Services Bill has passed its First Reading in Parliament with support from all parties. Local government Minister Nanaia Mahuta says this is a decisive step towards ensuring safe drinking water and more efficient wastewater and stormwater networks.
Waiora Aotearoa (Water New Zealand) is proud to once again tautoko (support) Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) – 14-20 Mahuru (September) 2020. We've produced a poster featuring Te Mana o te Wai that you can download here and print for your office wall or above your desk.
Information from Water New Zealand's National Performance Review has found that rural communities have some of the worst leaky water pipes in the country with some regional councils losing as much as 50 percent of the water put into their pipes.
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones wants the fast-track version of the Resource Management Act (RMA) to become the new norm.
As a result of the current coronavirus pandemic and the necessity to better understand, monitor and respond to the situation, Prof. Rosina Girones, Research Group Leader at the University of Barcelona, and Prof. Gertjan Medema, Principle Microbiologist at KWR, share in-depth insights on the latest research and outlook for the whole water sector.
The Water Environment Federation has created an infographic on "How to stay COVID free at a Waste Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF)" also known as a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).
Whangārei's almost 100,000 residents will likely soon need to cut their water use as the district moves to help desperate water-shortage-hit Far North and Kaipara communities.
Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford has introduced into the House legislation to enable a new infrastructure funding and financing tool.
The Government released its draft National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity last week. The draft NPSIB applies to all indigenous biodiversity including water bodies and freshwater systems.
Please find attached a copy of Water New Zealand's draft submission to the Resource Management Amendment Bill. Please provide feedback to jim.graham@waternz.org.nz by close of business today.
Australia's consumer watchdog is appealing a Federal Court ruling that Kimberly-Clark's Kleenex wipes are suitable to be flushed down the toilet, arguing that the risk of harm to sewerage systems was overlooked.
In May, the Three Waters Review completed its targeted stakeholder engagement programme relating to regulatory proposals for water.
Matariki is approaching fast, and is due to rise and be visable on the morning horizon (NE direction) on 25th June 2019.
Today, 38 craft breweries around the country submitted a letter opposing the Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to stop controlling pollution that flows through groundwater into rivers, streams, and lakes.
MfE released an updated measuring emissions guide (formerly the guide for voluntary greenhouse gas emissions reporting) earlier this month.
Please follow up with An Nguyen and Paul Smith with your interest in meeting the SEAsian delegations and we will send you details of their activities during Ozwater.
WorkSafe New Zealand’s 10th Edition of the Workplace Exposure Standards and Biological Exposure Indices Special Guide was published in November 2018
A freshwater scientist says New Zealand is losing the battle when it comes to water quality. Land, Air, Water Aotearoa collates water data from the councils around the country as part of a swimming spot check project across 700 sites and has found 97 unsuitable for swimming..
The Minister of Health has now issued the Drinking-Water Standards for New Zealand 2005 (Revised 2018) to supersede the Drinking-Water Standards for New Zealand 2005 (Revised 2008).A Notice has been published this afternoon in the Gazette and can be found at https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2018-go6440.
Read the latest NZ Geographic, which features a new article by Kennedy Warne, The Final Meltdown.
The Auditor-General’s report Managing the supply of and demand for drinking water was presented to the House of Representatives on 20 September 2018.
Have you recently presented at an Association event, submitted an abstract or paper that you believe would be of great interest to the water sector and wider community? If so, we would like to invite you to submit a full manuscript to the Association’s Water e-Journal through our online submission portal.
The terms of reference are available here and anyone interested in the inquiry can subscribe to receive updates. Water New Zealand will be preparing a submission.
The Guideline Document On-site Wastewater Management in the Auckland Region (GD06) is now published on the Auckland Design Manual website as a draft for public consultation
The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA, www.iema.net) The NZ membership of IEMA was formed inApril 2017 to support IEMA and is supported by members located across Aotearoa New Zealand.
As part of the government funded science challenges, Water New Zealand has been invited to participate in “Deep South Science Challenge” dialogue on drought. The outcomes of the dialogue will be funded research projects that look at the Impacts and Implications of climate projections of drought.
Plastic waste in the ocean is a global problem; some eight million metric tonnes of plastic ends up in the ocean every year.
This follows two reports from Niwa, warning the country tends to react to events rather than prepare for them.
Local Government New Zealand president and Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull told Nine to Noon many councils were unprepared and would not have the money to cope with erosion risk in their communities.
The updated draft documents are now available for further public comment here. Submissions on this second draft will close at 5pm Friday, 9 March 2018.
The Office of the Auditor-General has published a new report, Introducing our work programme – Water management.
Waipa District and Hamilton City Councils have released a Statement of Proposal to form a Shared Water Management Company (a non-asset owning Council Controlled Organisation) to manage drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services on behalf of both councils.
You are invited to take part in a research survey regarding the collaboration of urban site design teams (architects, landscape architects, engineers, planners etc.) in the design of sustainable stormwater management systems.
Water New Zealand submission on the Proposed National Planning Standards