Too pricey for small water suppliers

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 should absolutely 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