$7.9m to improve drinking-water in small communities

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew has today announced approval of $7.9 million in subsidies to help small communities establish or improve their drinking-water supplies.

“These subsidies will help council and community water suppliers provide safer drinking-water to approximately 22,000 people,” Mrs Goodhew said.

Subsidies have been approved for projects in 21 communities in the 2012/13 Drinking-Water Subsidy Scheme funding round. The subsidy covers up to 85 per cent of total project costs.

“I am very pleased that the Government has been able to provide a subsidy to every project that applied in this year’s round and met the technical requirements,” Mrs Goodhew said.

“Subsidies approved this year range from over $2 million for the Whakatane District Council to upgrade the Rangitikei Plains/Edgecumbe water supply, serving 1730 people; to $51,000 being provided to the Purehina Family Trust to treat and filter the Te Kohanga Purehina water supply so that around 55 people will receive safer drinking-water.

“The Drinking-Water Subsidy Scheme has $10 million available each year until 2015. With two funding rounds of the scheme still to go, I encourage any other eligible communities that may be thinking about applying to do so.”

More information about the scheme and how to apply can be found on the Ministry of Health website www.health.govt.nz.

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