Taumata Arowai Launches Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement Strategy

Taumata Arowai has released its Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement Strategy 2025-28 outlining the next steps drinking water suppliers must take to meet regulatory expectations.

This follows the recently published Drinking Water Regulation Report 2024, based on supplier-reported data on water safety and sufficiency.

The strategy sets out what suppliers must do over the next three years to reduce public health risks—focusing on strengthening systems, practices, and infrastructure. Key expectations include monitoring for contaminants (including bacteria and chemicals), effective treatment, and urgent action to resolve health risks.

Three priority supplier groups (councils, central government/commercial, and community suppliers) each have tailored yearly expectations through to 2028, reflecting their varying scale and risk.

A key concern identified in the report is the high rate of faecal contamination in rural self-supplied schools. A dedicated sector plan is now in place, and the Ministry of Education’s work with these schools will be closely monitored over the next year.

Taumata Arowai reports they expect meaningful progress from all suppliers and will intervene where expectations are not met to protect public health.