Local councils and district health boards report to Taumata Arowai about water quality(external link) who then publish a report each year that is available for the public to read.
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Drinking water safety
Key points about drinking water safety
- Turning on the tap and having a glass of water shouldn’t be a hazardous activity for us Kiwis.
- You may not even think too much about where your water comes from and most of the time you don’t need to worry.
- However, at times the bacteria called E.coli has been found to make its way into our water supply and when this happens it can be alarming.
- Here’s some information about what happens to the water we drink, how it's kept safe (most of the time) and how you can further reduce your risk of getting sick.
The Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand(external link) is a document produced by the Ministry of Health that all covers all statutory requirements for organisations who supply water to more than 500 people.
Much of New Zealand’s drinking water has chlorine added that kills certain bacteria, viruses and other organisms and makes the water safe to drink. Some areas of New Zealand do not have water treated with chlorine, but this doesn’t necessarily mean the water is unsafe to drink. Opinions differ between the benefits and risks of drinking treated or untreated water.
If your household water supply comes from a source other than a town supply, there are lots of things you need to know about how to treat and store water. Check out the Household Water Supply guides [PDF, 4.7 MB] published by the Ministry of Health.
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Boil water for at least a minute if you’re unsure whether it’s safe to drink. If a problem is found with your water supply, your water supplier may issue a boil water notice until the water quality has returned to safe levels.
Drinking water(external link) Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
Ensuring our drinking water is safe(external link) Water NZ
Resources
Secure groundwater bores and wells for safe household water(external link) HealthEd, NZ, 2000
Water collection tanks and safe household water(external link) HealthEd, NZ, 2018
Brochures
Secure groundwater bores and wells for safe household water
HealthEd, NZ, 2000
Water collection tanks and safe household water
HealthEd, NZ, 2018
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