44401 (2025). Hon Rachel Brooking to the Minister of Local Government

44401 (2025). Hon Rachel Brooking to the Minister of Local Government: Are PFAS present in drinking water in New Zealand, and if so, where?

Hon Simon Watts: Under the Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules 2022 (the Rules), drinking water suppliers are required to assess the PFAS risk for the supply, and subsequently monitor that risk, typically involving testing the supply for PFAS. Since the Rules came into effect in 2023, the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai (the Authority) has received 70 water sample test results from four drinking water supplies that contained PFAS. All 70 tests showed PFAS levels below the maximum acceptable value limits in the New Zealand Drinking Water Standards. The four supplies are located in Napier, Hamilton, Waihi and rural Waikato.