The Government has pledged $30 million through the Drinking Water in Schools Programme to ensure more rural and remote schools can upgrade their drinking water.
Minister of Education, Erica Stanford said around 20% of schools – mostly small and rural schools – and kura manage and supply their own drinking water.
This investment will target those schools facing the highest risk of having their water supply disrupted, she said.
“For too long self-supplying schools have been managing with ageing infrastructure and unreliable systems. The Government’s investment will accelerate fixing this infrastructure and will modernise how drinking water is provided, so that children can have access to safe, reliable drinking water,” said Ms Stanford.
Nearly 230 schools are actively engaged in the programme, with immediate remediation work initiated for 64 and drinking water assessments underway for the remainder.
The Minister said full drinking water supply upgrades have already been completed at 20 schools, which includes a mixture of new connections to council infrastructure, modernising bores and source water and new filtration systems.
“This investment provides a direct solution to a critical health and operational challenge in some of our most isolated schools,” she said.
“Any disruption to a school’s drinking water supply is not only onerous on the school but may also present a potential health and safety risk to its students.
“Every student, teacher and person at our schools deserves access to safe reliable drinking water.
“Alongside the capital investment, the Ministry of Education is providing school staff and principals with dedicated resources, technical guidance and a free training programme available to all schools.”
