Manukau Water warns about scare tactics

Manukau Water Limited is warning its customers to be wary of door to door sales people who are using scare tactics to sell bottled water.

When calling at homes, the sellers have been telling homeowners that the tap water they receive is polluted, and in some cases they have been told it comes from a sewerage plant. The sellers are targeting the elderly and young families, and are trying to sign customers up on 3-year contracts with fortnightly payments.

“These tactics are scurrilous,” said Manukau Water Limited chief executive Raveen Jaduram. “The tap water our customers are receiving is absolutely healthy. To suggest the tap water in Manukau is polluted is a lie and I’d suggest that anyone using these sorts of tactics should be forcefully told to go away,” Mr Jaduram said.

The sellers are using misrepresentation to promote their products and any customer who is approached with these tactics is also encouraged to inform the police, Mr Jaduram said.

Mr Jaduram noted Manukau Water Limited’s water fully complies with the Drinking Water Standards for New Zealand and the company’s water system has been operated and maintained with a Ministry of Health “a” grading for a number of years. This water is regularly and strictly monitored by district health board officials. A water filter is not necessary for health reasons, though some customers choose to filter because they prefer the taste of filtered water.

“We respect people having the choice to filter water, but we don’t respect sales people who are lying to influence that choice,” Mr Jaduram said.

About Manukau Water

Manukau Water Limited is responsible for the management of the public water distribution and wastewater collection systems for the people of Manukau. The company serves approximately 338,000 people living in an area covering 552 square kilometres. It manages infrastructure assets worth nearly $1 billion.