2937 (2026). Hon Jo Luxton to the Minister for the Environment

Written Question

Published date: 20 Feb 2026

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	2937 (2026)
Question asked:	03 Feb 2026
Member asking:	Hon Jo Luxton
Portfolio:	Minister for the Environment
Minister replying:	Hon Penny Simmonds
Answer received:	16 Feb 2026
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_02937_2026
Document guid:	b8c14b9f-e198-41ea-a349-31f8c971c9bd

2937 (2026). Hon Jo Luxton to the Minister for the Environment: What data, if any, does her agency hold on arsenic concentrations in the Waikato River over the past 10 years, including sampling locations, dates, and trends over time?

Hon Penny Simmonds: I am advised that the Ministry for the Environment holds limited data on Arsenic concentrations in the Waikato River as part of the National Drinking Water Quality Survey of New Zealand Rural Schools 2023/2024 (https://environment.govt.nz/assets/publications/Freshwater/national-drinking-water-quality-survey-of-nz-rural-schools.pdf). For more fulsome information, I refer the Member to the Waikato Regional Council and the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai (https://www.taumataarowai.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Network-Performance/Drinking-Water-Regulation-Report-2024.pdf).