4pm – Hastings District Council ‘will read the report with interest’ Hastings District Council says the inquiry’s recommendations will be helpful.
"The recommendations for mandatory treatment and residual disinfection provide certainty for our community and all New Zealanders", Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said.
Chief Executive Ross McLeod said Hastings District Council has responded to all the criticisms raised in the Stage 1 report.
"Since the outbreak there had continued to be reports of E.coli in water supplies throughout Hawke’s Bay.
"Therefore, I was heartened to see the recommendation that – CEOs of DHBs (with Public health responsibilities) should advise drinking water suppliers that all supplies should be effectively treated pending any change to the law…" 3pm – ‘Major reform urgently needed’ Water New Zealand is calling on the Government to implement the recommendations made in the report.
Chief Executive John Pfahlert says urgent reform needs to take place – or there is a "serious risk of another contamination outbreak."
2pm – The report is released The inquiry recommends a number of urgent measures, including asking the Director-General of Health to persuade suppliers not to rely on "current ‘secure’ bore water classifications".
"The inquiry found that 80 percent of residents have access to water which meets current standards.
"This is a failure of the previous Government, and one we will take control of and address," he said.
The report also recommends: Creating a new independent drinking water regulator Recommends a move to larger, aggregated water suppliers as an effective and affordable way to improve compliance, competence and accountability The inquiry makes a number of recommendations to strengthen legislation and regulation Newshub.

The Health Ministry and local authorities are being slammed for "widespread systemic failure" in their duty to ensure safe drinking water, with a new report showing at least 721,000 New Zealanders and countless tourists are drinking water that may not be safe.
The second stage of a Government inquiry was released today into the health crisis in Havelock North, which saw more than a third of the town’s 15,000 people become sick from contaminated drinking water.
The inquiry was scathing on the suppliers – usually the local authority, monitored by the Health Ministry – for ensuring safe drinking water.
"These findings point to a widespread systemic failure among water suppliers to meet the high standards required for the supply of safe drinking water to the public.
Neither has the Ministry of Health … shown an ability to call the industry to account."
Read the full report here The Director-General of Health Chai Chuah told the inquiry that the figures were "very troubling", while the ministry’s leader of the drinking water team Sally Gilbert said that the figures "raise flags" and that the ministry needed to "strengthen [its] advice in this area".
Moreover, there has been no marked improvement in the number of suppliers supplying safe drinking water throughout the 2009-2016 period," despite a law change in 2007 that was considered international best practice.
In the aftermath of the bacteriological outbreak in Havelock North, these failures to respond effectively to transgressions or to monitor adequately are surprising and unacceptable."
The inquiry recommends a major overhaul of the system including 51 recommendations, including the universal treatment of drinking water, establishing a new independent drinking water regulator, and stronger laws and regulations to enforce standards.
The supply of drinking water is no different."

Over 700,000 New Zealanders could be drinking unsafe water, a new report shows.
4pm – Hastings District Council ‘will read the report with interest’ Hastings District Council says the inquiry’s recommendations will be helpful.
Chief Executive Ross McLeod said Hastings District Council has responded to all the criticisms raised in the Stage 1 report.
"Since the outbreak there had continued to be reports of E.coli in water supplies throughout Hawke’s Bay.
This continuously puts at risk the health of those communities," Chief executive Kevin Snee said in a press release.
"Therefore, I was heartened to see the recommendation that – CEOs of DHBs (with Public health responsibilities) should advise drinking water suppliers that all supplies should be effectively treated pending any change to the law…" 3pm – ‘Major reform urgently needed’ Water New Zealand is calling on the Government to implement the recommendations made in the report.
2pm – The report is released The inquiry recommends a number of urgent measures, including asking the Director-General of Health to persuade suppliers not to rely on "current ‘secure’ bore water classifications".
"The inquiry found that 80 percent of residents have access to water which meets current standards.
The findings come from the second stage of a Government inquiry into the Havelock North water poisoning that saw 5,500 people become ill from drinking contaminated water.
The water was not disinfected with chlorine or UV treatment, so drinkers consumed the bacteria.

The drinking water of 20 per cent of the country is at risk – and an inquiry has recommended all drinking water be urgently treated.
The inquiry into Havelock North’s drinking water contamination released a damning 296 page report into the safety and security of New Zealand’s drinking water supply.
It’s the second stage of an inquiry launched following the August 2016 water contamination in Havelock North, which left 5000 people sick.
1 NEWS political reporter Katie Bradford has followed the saga since the 2016 gastro outbreak saw thousands taken ill.
Source: 1 NEWS Led by Hon Lyn Stevens, Dr Karen Poutasi and Anthony Wilson, it says: "These findings point to a widespread systemic failure among water suppliers to meet the high standards required for the supply of safe drinking water to the public.
"The industry has demonstrated that it is not capable of itself improving when the standards are not met."
A number of recommendations need to be made urgently, the authors say.
That includes universal treatment of all drinking water – likely to be controversial and expensive.
It says the Ministry of Health needs to overhaul drinking water standards and introduce six new principles aimed at ensuring a safe and secure supply.
"The Director-General of Health can and should, in the interests of public safety and welfare, exercise effective and practical leadership to encourage water suppliers to use appropriate and effective treatment without delay."

Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) water works consultative committee directed the officials of water works department and private water operator Orange City Water Private Limited (OCW) to solve complaints of contaminated drinking water supply soon.
The committee, headed by Rajesh Ghodpage, held a review meeting with the officials of NMC and OCW at the NMC head office on Tuesday.
Executive engineer Sanjay Gaikwad, general managers of NESL PS Rajgire, DP Chitnis, OCW official KMP Singh, Rahul Kulkarni, Azizur Rehman and others were present.
NMC and OCW officials informed 39 complaints of contaminated drinking water supply received from nine zones.
One complaint received by Laxmi Nagar Zone, 8 by Dharampeth zone, two by Hanuman Nagar zone, 4 by Nehru Nagar zone, 3 by Gandhibagh zone, 5 by Satranjipura zone, 3 by Lakadganj zone, 5 by Ashi Nagar zone and 8 by Mangalwari zone.
Ghodpage directed the officials to solve all complaints within a period of two months.
"Identify reasons behind contamination of drinking water.
Proper planning should be done on priority basis if drinking water being contaminated due to infrastructure developmental works being executed on the roads in many places across the city," he said.
Ghodpage also directed the officials to increase revenue collection.
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The Supreme Court in December last year, constituted a judicial commission to investigate the authorities’ failure to provide potable drinking water and improve sanitation across the Sindh province.
After completing the hectic six-week long proceedings and inspections, the commission submitted its130-page comprehensive report to the apex court, concluding that various water and sanitation-related projects had not been completed due to corruption, mismanagement and poor monitoring systems of the provincial government.
This matter started when a senior practicing lawyer Shahab Usto, submitted videos showing the state of water, disposal of sewage and waste in Larkana, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Kotri, Thatta, Badin, Mithi, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas and Karachi.
This was the first strong initiative and we should acknowledge it as a commendable action by a citizen of Pakistan.
According to the recent report released by the Supreme Court’s Judicial Commission on water and sanitation in Sindh, more than 75 percent people in Sindh drink unsafe water.
According to the recent report released by the Supreme Court’s Judicial Commission on water and sanitation, more than 75 percent people in Sindh drink unsafe water In addition to highlighting various dismal facts about the water and sanitation situation in Sindh, the report has declared that “water is life and access to unpolluted water is the fundamental right of every citizen”.
Despite the fact that the right to safe drinking water is declared a fundamental human right at the national and international level, a large number of people (71 percent) drink unsafe water in Sindh and continue to fight to survival against water borne diseases which include cancer.
While visiting these areas I had a talk with some of the locals, they said there was no source of clean drinking water and almost 98 percent population of their village is suffering from liver and stomach related diseases.
However, the Sindh Government allocated Rs 11.76 billion for development schemes which are meant to improve the provision of clean drinking water and sanitation in the province in the fiscal year 2017-18.
The JEC report highlighted that provincial authorities utilised 29 billion rupees on 1337 schemes of water supply and drainage during the last five years while 582 of water supply and drainage schemes out of 1337 are non-functional.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar was hearing a petition filed by Advocate Shahab Usto in the SC Karachi registry against the authorities for their alleged failure in providing clean drinking water and environment to the people in Sindh.
The SC had then appointed a two-judge bench, headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim, who had ordered the formation of a commission headed by a Sindh High Court judge for fair distribution of drinking water in the province.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, however, had last month raised concerns over the commission formed by the SC.
“Let judiciary take care of its own work.
During Monday’s hearing, Usto submitted before the court that the commission had surveyed the entire province.
“From Karachi to Kashmore, no citizen has access to safe and hygienic drinking water,” he claimed.
Sindh’s health secretary, chief secretary, home secretary, and managing director of water and sewage appeared in court along with other high-ranking officials.
He added that he can come to Karachi every week in order to find out who was responsible for the mismanagement in water distribution throughout the province.
The chief justice ordered the Sindh CM and former Karachi mayor to appear in court — the former will appear on Wednesday while the latter will appear on Tuesday.
“Water is one of the resources that our country is blessed with,” the chief justice remarked.

The reservoir, which supplies drinking water to about 200 households, was not previously chlorinated, "as hand dosing is required in order to treat the reservoir", the council said.
All of Napier’s drinking water supply except Otatara and Puketapu had been chlorinated since May, when E. coli was again found in the system.
Faecal matter was first discovered on February 1.
* Napier City Council shuts off chlorine-free taps after E.coli detected in reservoir * Chlorine to stay in Napier water because supply is still not considered secure * Napier’s challenging year blighted by costly mistakes * Napier’s water to remain chlorinated as safety standards shift A council spokeswoman said Friday’s chlorination "was for the benefit of the Puketapu and Otatara zone".
Meanwhile, Napier residents have reported sickness and frustration over the city-wide chlorination.
Hospital Hill resident Cheri Waitoa said she was sick of the tap water.
"Now after having moved suburbs (and water supply) our tap water is so rank our cats won’t drink it – and I’ve seen the buggers drink from some manky-looking puddles before.
But I know residents in Napier, there are the odd Facebook post I see of people," she said.
Documents released to Stuff under the Official Information Act in August revealed that Drinking Water Assessors told the council in July it was failing to meet national Drinking Water Standards.
Wood revoked the council’s secure bore status, meaning the bores were not believed to be protected from contamination.

The chief justice was hearing a petition filed by Advocate Shahab Usto in the Supreme Court Karachi registry against the authorities for their alleged failure in providing clean drinking water and environment to the people in Sindh.
He claimed that almost 80 million people had hepatitis because of drinking polluted water.
The SC had then appointed a two-judge bench, headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim, who had ordered the formation of a commission headed by a Sindh High Court judge for fair distribution of drinking water in the province.
Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, however, had last month raised concerns over the commission formed by the SC.
"Let judiciary take care of its own work.
"It is the government’s responsibility to provide clean water to the public," Justice Saqib said, inquiring about what elected officials had been doing regarding the matter.
Sindh’s health secretary, chief secretary, home secretary, and managing director of water and sewage appeared in court along with other high-ranking officials.
The chief justice ordered the Sindh CM and former Karachi mayor to appear in court — the former will appear on Wednesday while the latter will appear tomorrow.
"Water is one of the resources that our country is blessed with," the chief justice remarked.
"We need to protect our resources."

However, for those who get their drinking water from private wells rather than a public utility, there could be a cause for concern where their water is coming from.
In their study, Jasechko and Perrone found that approximately half of all hydraulically fractured wells stimulated in 2014 exist within two to three kilometers of one or more domestic, public and self-supply groundwater wells.
They were also able to identify 236 counties where most recorded domestic groundwater wells exist within two kilometers of one or more recorded oil and gas wells producing during 2014.
Their analysis of hydraulic fracturing operations assessed wells likely stimulated in 2014, whereas their analysis of oil and gas wells assessed wells producing hydrocarbons in 2014.
“This co-location [of hydraulic fractured and domestic groundwater wells] emphasizes the need to determine the frequency that hydraulic fracturing activities impact groundwater well-water quality.
“Our results underscore the importance of increased water-monitoring efforts near both hydraulically fractured and conventional oil and gas wells in ascertaining the risk of contamination and in protecting water-well quality.” According to Jasechko and Perrone, quantifying and communicating risks of hydraulic fracturing to groundwater resources is challenging because of the lack of consistently cataloged information about the frequency and severity of spills and leaks linked to hydraulic fracturing, integrity of active and decommissioned wells and groundwater quality before vs. following the initiation of a hydraulic fracturing operation and environmental profile, including toxicity of chemicals used for oil and gas production.
“Our analysis underscores the need to increase monitoring efforts to maximize the probability that we can identify well waters that may be impacted and do our best to remediate, contain and isolate potentially contaminated waters before they cause harm,” Jasechko said.
In this case, the problem is a lack of consistent data across states as well as across industries.
Quantifying and communicating actual risks remain challenging because of the lack of publicly available and consistently cataloged information.
As more shale oil and gas reservoirs become economically and technologically feasible to access with hydraulically fractured wells, understanding the frequency that groundwater resources are contaminated will be critical to allocating resources for safeguarding groundwater and addressing public concerns.