1. Freshwater Management—Drinking-water ContaminationMETIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) to the Associate Minister of HealthORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSFreshwater Management—Drinking-water Contamination1. METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) to the Associate Minister of Health: Tokohia ngā tāngata i inu wai nā te E. coli i paihana i ngā rā atu i te tahi o Hōngongoi tau rua mano tekau mā rima ki te toru tekau o Pipiri tau rua mano tekau mā ono?[How many people's drinking water was contaminated with E. coli between 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016?]Hon PETER DUNNE (Associate Minister of Health): The annual report on drinking-water quality for 2015-16 says that approximately 45000 people in that time received drinking water with excessive measures of E. coli transgressions. I would note that that amounted to 503 cases of gastroenteritis in 2015 and 512 cases in 2016 of which a small portion may have been attributable to E. coli.Metiria Turei: Does the Minister believe that a system in which 45000 people have poo in their drinking water at least once a year is good enough for New Zealand?Hon PETER DUNNE: Obviously one aims for perfection but I would note that what the report also shows is that around 98 percent of people in that time received drinking water that was of acceptable quality. While there will always be incidents—there have been a number over a period of time—the number of people who are adversely affected is very low. Clearly we need to work with local councils to reduce that even further.Metiria Turei: How can New Zealanders be sure that the water coming from their taps is not going to make them sick when the same number of people as the population of Nelson have faecal contamination in their drinking water at least once a year?Hon PETER DUNNE: The reticulation of water supplies is of course a matter for local authorities. Where central government has a role is in the enforcement of if you like overall standards. One of the ways we do that is through the annual monitor of drinking-water standards to which I have referred in the primary answer and obviously ongoing discussions with local government about incidents that occur that are having an adverse effect on the population.Metiria Turei: How can he be confident that people living in small rural communities and at marae have the resources they need to make sure the water coming from their taps is safe to drink when his Government cut funding for the drinking-water subsidy programme?Hon PETER DUNNE: During the life of that subsidy programme a huge number of small communities seeking to upgrade their water-supply systems were assisted. The number outstanding is comparatively small. I have had ongoing discussion with the Minister of Local Government about ways in which this might be addressed in the future.Metiria Turei: How is it a good look for Punakaiki a top tourist destination to have contaminated drinking water when tourists expect better from a clean green New Zealand which is supposed to be a wealthy country?Hon PETER DUNNE: It is not a good look for anywhere to have contaminated water supplies for any period of time. But I make the point again that I made in response to an earlier supplementary question: in the specific case that the member refers to the reticulation of those water supplies is a matter for the local authority.Richard Prosser: Would it surprise the Minister that the New Zealand Public Health Surveillance Report covering the first 3 months of 2017—otherwise known as summer—reveals two E. coli outbreaks involving four cases which were all in Auckland and all in private homes?Hon PETER DUNNE: In short no. In fact the advice I had indicated that there were two such specific outbreaks and that there is not clear evidence as to whether E. coli was involved in those instances.Metiria Turei: Does the Minister think it is fair that 45000 New Zealanders have poo in their drinking water at least once a year while pristine artesian water is taken from underneath their feet bottled and sold back to those communities as happened in Waimārama last year?Hon PETER DUNNE: I think the issue of the provision of clean water supplies for communities is an important one. Ideally it would be coming through the source of reticulation in the first instance but in situations where that is not able to be achieved because of temporary problems then it is desirable that people get their clean fresh water from elsewhere.