Kāeo water problems: Far North council, supplier told to find safe drinking water solution

With Kāeo households being without a readily drinkable water supply for 10 years, Far North District Council staff will meet with water supplier Wai Care to thoroughly assess existing water infrastructure and options for possible solutions. Photo / Yolisa Tswanya

After years of public frustration and unanswered questions over Kāeo’s drinking water, the national water regulator has stepped in, urging the Far North District Council and the supplier to work together on a long-term solution.

The Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai is now convening discussions between the Far North District Council and Wai Care Environmental Consultants Whangaroa (Wai Care) to address long-standing issues with the Kāeo drinking water supply.

The authority’s head of operations, Steve Taylor, said there is a need to proactively explore a range of options to deliver safe drinking water for the community.

In August, the authority asked the supplier, Wai Care, to provide a funded plan to address long-time safety issues that have resulted in a boil water advisory being in place for more than 10 years.

The authority said Wai Care’s response does not address fundamental safety concerns.

“We engaged with the supplier to come up with a plan to deliver safe drinking water to its customers, but ultimately the plan showed a need to take the next step and bring other parties around the table to find a reasonable solution for this community.”

Although the council is not the drinking water supplier for Kāeo, the authority is calling for collaborative discussions as part of the council’s duty to ensure communities within its region have access to safe drinking water when a supplier is facing a significant problem.

“This is a rare step for the authority to call on a council’s duties under the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025 and follows extensive engagement with the private supplier. Boil water advisories are intended to be a temporary safety measure, not a long-term fix. Both the authority and the community want to see a resolution that provides safe drinking water.

“While this may not be a quick fix, we will continue working alongside Far North District Council and the supplier to secure a safe drinking water solution for Kāeo.”

FNDC head of infrastructure Tanya Proctor said she welcomed the involvement of Taumata Arowai.

“While the council is not the drinking water supplier in this case, it does have a duty to ensure communities have access to safe drinking water when a supplier faces a significant problem.

“We are keen to explore options with Wai Care to help resolve long-standing water quality issues for affected Kāeo residents and businesses. At the same time, we need to be mindful of our budget constraints and ensure that the interests of Far North ratepayers are protected.”

The next steps will involve council staff meeting with Wai Care to thoroughly assess existing water infrastructure and options for possible solutions.

She said FNDC’s partners in establishing a Northland-wide, council-controlled organisation (CCO) to deliver drinking water and wastewater services – Whangārei and Kaipara district councils – have been informed about the direction from Taumata Arowai.

Wai Care’s Bryce Aldridge said he “supports the media statement made by Taumata Arowai”.