Kāeo water crisis: Far North District Council appointed to run supply under order

Taumata Arowai plans to work with the Kāeo community to find a long-term solution to its water woes by March next year. Photo / Yolisa Tswanya

After a month of water outages and more than 10 years on a boil-water notice, the state of Kāeo’s water supply has finally triggered intervention.

The country’s water services regulator, Taumata Arowai, has handed control to the Far North District Council, marking the first use of its statutory powers.

Earlier this year the Northern Advocate revealed that the town has been under a boil-water notice for 10 years, prompting Taumata Arowai to step in.

The supplier, Wai Care Environmental Consultants, has had increasing challenges in maintaining a safe and sufficient supply of drinking water to the community.

Last month Taumata Arowai took the rare step of ordering the Far North District Council to intervene in the privately owned water supply.

The authority, Far North District Council and the water supplier Wai Care Environmental Consultants have been in discussion in recent weeks and today the authority announced it has placed the Kāeo drinking water supply under statutory management and appointed the council to manage the supply.

The authority had worked with Wai Care Environmental Consultants since early this year to find immediate and long-term solutions for the community.

After extensive engagement with the supplier, on October 22 the authority convened formal discussions between Wai Care Environmental Consultants and Far North District Council to work together on solutions.

Those conversations could not resolve immediate supply issues, which included the area being without water. Residents said they have not had water since it was cut off on October 18.

Given the immediate issues, the authority’s chief executive Allan Prangnell invoked section 83 of the Water Services Act 2021, appointing Far North District Council as the operator of the Kāeo supply to perform all of the supplier’s functions and duties.

“This action is the first of its kind by the authority and is not a step we take lightly,” Prangnell said.

“The community has been dealing with a poor water supply for too long, and there is a serious risk to public health relating to a drinking water supply.”

Prangnell said the authority believed there were sufficient grounds for action given the 10-year boil water advisory and the recent inability of the supplier to provide any water.

The Water Services Act provides a 90-day period to put in place statutory management.

“However, following conversations with Far North District Council and the supplier, it was agreed that the council would immediately step in to take over the supply,” Prangnell said.

“We are pleased that the council can step in with the support of the supplier and would like to acknowledge both the work of the supplier and of the council to make this happen.”

Prangnell said the authority’s role was to ensure New Zealand communities had access to a sufficient supply of safe drinking water.

“From here, our focus shifts to supporting Far North District Council to turn the supply back on and then working with the community on a cost-effective, long-term solution by March 2026.”