The Greens are going to slap a levy on bottled water and are promising to develop a system to charge commercial water users..
The Greens are pledging to put an immediate 10c a litre levy on sales or exports of bottled still and sparkling water.
Co-leader James Shaw announced the water policy in Nelson on Sunday, as part of the party’s election campaign launch.
He says the levy will ensure companies who profit from sales of New Zealand water are paying for that privilege.
"Water bottling companies are taking the purest, cleanest water out from under our feet.
They bottle it and sell it and pay practically nothing for the resource," he said.
The Greens will also develop a "fair way" to charge all commercial water users, something that the National Government has avoided responsibility for for the entire time its been in government, he said.
"We’ll do this through a process involving nationwide meetings and hui with all interested people and organisations."
The party expects tangata whenua will play a critical role.
He said the Greens would also protect drinking water sources from the activities that pollute them with pathogens, sediment, run-off, and nitrates.