FNDC head of infrastructure Tanya Proctor said the council was grateful to the former water supplier, Wai Care Environmental Consultants, for opting to forego the statutory 90-day period to put in place statutory management and staff would now work to restore water. However, she warned it may not be achieved immediately.
“There are several legal issues we need to work through, not least being the fact that the water treatment plant is on a property owned by a third party. We need to negotiate access with the owner and only then will we be able to inspect the water treatment plant.”
She said the first step would be to restore supply to residents and businesses as quickly as possible. That will likely mean customers will again have to boil the water before drinking it.
Before the supply was shut more than a month ago, forcing Taumata Arowai to intervene, the privately owned Kāeo supply had been on a boil water advisory for 10 years.
The supply has been run by Wai Care, under owner Bryce Aldridge, since he acquired it in 2008. The FNDC sold the supply to Doubtless Bay Water in 2000.
Proctor said that once supplies are restored, staff will begin a full assessment of the water treatment plant and network to develop options for a long-term solution for customers.
In the meantime, residents will continue to have access to a water tanker, supplied by council, with the truck stationed in the town between Monday and Saturday from 10am to 6pm.
Asked for his comment on the decision, Aldridge said “I support only the statement made by Taumata Arowai.”
During the recent outage, Te Rūnanga o Te Whaingaroa was forced to close its offices and pou arahi (cultural manager) Raniera Kaio said the rūnanga welcomes Taumata Arowai’s “decisive action”.
“We acknowledge the seriousness of this situation and commend the authority and FNDC for stepping in to protect public health and restore confidence in essential services.
“Our position remains clear and consistent: access to clean water is a basic human right and a cornerstone of community wellbeing. Immediate restoration of town supply must be followed by a cost-effective, long-term solution that guarantees resilience for future generations.
“These actions must align with our Iwi Environmental Management Plan 2022–2027, which prioritises the mauri of water and sustainable resource management, and our Strategic Plan, which commits to environmental stewardship and intergenerational wellbeing.”
He added the rūnanga looked forward to working alongside FNDC and Taumata Arowai to “ensure that solutions reflect the aspirations of our whānau and hapū, uphold mana and protect our taiao”.
Kāeo resident Anna Valentine, who has been fighting for the town’s residents to have access to potable water, said the decision had been a long time coming.
“I am glad and it is about time. For it to have gone on for so long has been ridiculous. I am super happy the council is back on.”
She said for a long time, she felt Kāeo residents were being neglected and she hoped the resolution would come soon.
