Watercare Laboratory Services has operated continuously since the 1950s under local and regional government authorities. In 1991 it became a business unit of Watercare Services Ltd. Since then, its capacity as the largest provider of water and wastewater analysis in New Zealand has allowed the laboratory to branch into environmental analysis in areas such as stack emissions, ambient air quality, odour analysis, soil analysis, and testing services for contaminated sites. The laboratory now performs services for customers managing not only water and waste water assets, but also covering quarrying and mining operations, power generators, heavy/light industry and landfill operations.
In February 2002, in response to increasing demand and having outgrown the premises, the laboratory was moved to a new 2,000 square metre purpose-designed facility in Airport Oaks, Auckland. The new laboratory boasts state of the art facilities including; a positive pressure clean room for inorganic analysis, a MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) approved transitional facility to house samples from overseas or quarantine samples, an emergency backup generator and a back up water supply.
Today, the operation is a professionally focused commercial entity employing over 60 staff and performing more than 660,000 analyses on over 80,000 samples each year. Major clients include local authorities, water and wastewater companies, engineering consultants, and industrial customers throughout New Zealand.
The laboratory is located close to Auckland International Airport to speed up deliveries from around New Zealand and overseas.