Councils face big costs for farms' tiny water supply 'schemes'

OPINION: News out of Wellington of the formation of a dedicated water watchdog that will set standards and have monitoring and enforcement powers following the Havelock North water contamination is welcomed by local government.

However, as with any time a pendulum swings back, we need to be cautious of the pace and the degree of reaction to an event that absolutely should never have happened.

It is a sad reality that there is an inherent risk to any untreated water supply, no matter how clean and green we like to think New Zealand is, and it is long-overdue that central Government made efforts to ensure that the almost-voluntary drinking water standards we have are enforced.  Read more