A warning to councils taking too long to comply with new water supply rules. 

Water regulator Taumata Arowai has sent a letter to 27 councils informing them they have till mid next year to sort a sufficient protozoa barrier. 

Regulations took effect last November, but the heat's really come on since Queenstown's cryptosporidium infection outbreak.   

Head of Regulatory Steve Taylor told Mike Hosking that they have the power to prosecute if compliance orders aren't followed.   

He says prosecution comes at a cost, and they'd rather that money is invested in the plant necessary to keep water safe. 

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• Water supply crackdown raises concerns