Hawkes Bay Regional Council is warning those who draw drinking water from bores that it may contain elevated levels of naturally occurring arsenic.

Higher levels exceeding the national drinking water standard have been found in water at three private bores around the region.

The find comes after bore owners tested for arsenic and brought the results to Hawkes Bay Regional Council's attention.

Principal groundwater scientist Janine Barber says other bore owners won't know if elevated levels of arsenic are present, unless they're specifically testing for it.

It occurs due to materials present in the aquifer, with the release of arsenic from surrounding materials being specific to bores, and not the entire aquifer system.

Barber says drinking arsenic-tainted water can have health effects if consumed for many years.

"It is something that, yes your body will take in the arsenic and it will accumulate it, it will pass some of the arsenic naturally but if you are continually ingesting arsenic it can cause health issues later on in life."

And she says bores in other regions also see elevated arsenic due to the country's volcanic source rocks.

"There are areas in the Waikato and also Canterbury where there are either aquifers that have got a peat source or have got reducing environments which create a chemical environment that releases arsenic."