New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science funded Research Programmes

Tens of thousands of people in Aotearoa New Zealand become sick from microbial contamination of drinking-water every year. Recent examples of drinking-water outbreaks in Queenstown and Havelock North underscore the vulnerability of our water supplies and highlight the high costs and consequences of unsafe drinking-water. The challenge of managing national drinking-water quality will only increase in the face of accelerating climate change, resource constraints and land-use changes.

Microbial metagenomics and quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) are promising genetic tools that can help Aotearoa-NZ manage and deliver safe drinking-water on a national scale. Moving beyond non-specific bacterial indicators, metagenomics offers a powerful DNA sequencing approach that can identify all the microbes in a water sample, while qPCR focuses on targeted identification and quantification of specific microorganisms of concern. Metagenomics and qPCR can help prevent drinking-water outbreaks, assist with identifying the cause of outbreaks when they do occur, and guide better management of our water infrastructure. While powerful, this technology requires new science to unlock its full potential and avoid misinterpretations and misidentification of pathogens.

Our research team will undertake the science needed for the practical implementation of these tools by advancing their effectiveness in monitoring the microbial health risks of drinking-water. We will undertake case studies to validate better characterisation of pathogens and contamination in source waters, evaluate the efficacy of drinking-water treatment, and understand the microbial communities within drinking-water.

This research program will work alongside Taumata Arowai, local councils, and iwi to establish routine microbial protocols incorporating molecular biology tools that improve drinking-water safety while safeguarding the health and wellbeing of Aotearoa-NZ’s people.