History

Watercare Laboratory Services has operated continuously since the 1950s, under local/regional government authorities and since 1991 as 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 air quality, soil analysis and contaminated sites, with analyses ranging from basic testing to complex microbiology and chemistry.

Today, the operation is a professionally focused commercial entity employing over 60 staff and performing more than 350,000 analyses on over 70,000 samples each year. Major clients are local authorities, water and wastewater companies, engineering consultants, and industry throughout New Zealand.

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 building's environment is safe, improves the accuracy of results and provides efficiencies.

The laboratory is located close to Auckland International Airport to speed up deliveries from around New Zealand and overseas. To help speed the process from abroad, the new laboratory has a MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) approved transitional facility to house samples that may otherwise require quarantine.