The independent report released on Tuesday, said the water department withheld information for seven months from senior managers – including the council’s chief executive – on the risk of contamination.
It said the delay in informing council chief executive, Karleen Edwards, prevented the public from knowing sooner that the water would need to be chlorinated.
Karleen Edwards fronted for media on Tuesday and laid out why the seven month delay mattered so much.
"It would have allowed…a more co-ordinated planned approach involving appropriate authorities such as the Ministry of Health and the Drinking Water Assessor to achieve a longer term programme of repair," Ms Edwards said.
"More importantly, we could have taken time to explain to our community, so that they could better understand the choices and decisions that needed to be made, so I’m really sorry that we didn’t have the opportunity to talk to our community before that decision was made."
Despite this, Karleen Edwards said the head of Three Waters, John Mackie, was safe in his job.
My expectation is that people would raise issues of concern and risk and that’s something that we’re certainly working with [people on] across the organisation."
The council still hoped to have its $35m programme to make the water bores secure, completed by March next year.
We have elected members who represent that community.
Karleen Edwards said managers including John Mackie, had been offered training in the need to refer up when issues, such as the security of the city’s drinking water, became a concern.