Ten years on: The Havelock North water crisis that changed NZ’s complacency about its drinking water safety

Local Democracy reporter·Hawkes Bay Today·11 Aug, 2026 06:21 PM7 mins to read‌Ten years on from the Havelock North Water crisis, Hastings District Council chief infrastructure officer Craig Thew says the focus remained on the people who became ill, those who experienced lasting health effects, and the wider impact on the community.On August 12, 2016, thousands of Havelock North residents started to feel what they thought was a bad tummy bug.The symptoms were all there - diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, and painful stomach cramps. Many of them did what you’re told to do as a young child when you’re sick -