The government is being urged to announce changes to improve drinking water quickly or risk losing support for change.
Experts investigating the Havelock North gastro outbreak warned 20 percent of the entire country's water supplies were "not safe". Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
The final report into the drinking water contamination crisis in Havelock North - released before Christmas - recommended changes such as universal treatment of water supplies and the possibility of a national regulator.
Water New Zealand head John Pfahlert said when the report and its recommendations were tabled in Parliament, it had support on all sides.
But he warned that could easily ebb.
"I'm always confident the government will do the right thing eventually, but if they don't make an announcement before the end of February, for example, the public might come to think that perhaps they don't regard the inquiry's report or recommendations particularly meaningful."
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta is proposing an inquiry into the funding of local authorities, saying it is simply too difficult for councils to sustain their operations by just relying on rates.
* You can hear more debate about the need to overhaul drinking water systems on Outspoken tonight at 5.30pm on RNZ National.