Upper Clutha and Queenstown Private Water Supplies: community information sessions

Southern District Health Board (SDHB), Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) and Otago Regional Council (ORC) will jointly host community information sessions in Queenstown and Wānaka to discuss private water supplies i.e. water taken outside of town supply.

The community information sessions will help clarify the responsibilities of private water suppliers and provide guidance around the roles of the respective agencies in the oversight of the supply of water.

Experts from each organisation will present information aimed to help those managing or consuming water from a private supply to better understand where the water comes from, the inherent risks associated with taking water from different sources (with a focus on groundwater bores), as well as recommended testing and security measures.

The presentation will aim to clarify the current regulatory framework and outline changes that are on the horizon as part of the Government-led Three Water Reform Programme (Water Services Bill). From July 2021, there will be a new national water regulator, Taumata Arowai, which will oversee, administer and enforce a strengthened drinking water regulatory system. A representative from Taumata Arowai attend these sessions.

There will also be opportunities to ask questions on how to improve bore security and where to find more information on testing private supplies of water.

Wanaka session: Tuesday 30 March 2021 at the Lake Wanaka Centre from 5:00pm to 7:00pm

Queenstown session: Wednesday 31 March 2021 at the Queenstown Events Centre from 5.30pm to 7:30pm

The sessions will only proceed if both Otago and Southland are under Alert Level One. In the event we are at Alert Level Two or higher, the meeting will be postponed.