Drinking Water Suppliers
The establishment of the new water services regulator Taumata Arowai is part of the Government’s Three Water Reform Programme. As one of the three pillars, this new standalone Crown entity has a supervisory role in New Zealand wastewater and stormwater systems. On 15 November 2021, the Water Services Act 2021 came into effect. With its commencement come several changes to New Zealand’s water services.
Are you a drinking water supplier?
What are the requirements?
What do you need to do if you are considered a drinking water supplier?
What is a Drinking Water Supplier?
Definition, water supply and duties. ⇒
Water Services Act (2021)
What is the impact for Drinking Water Suppliers? ⇒
Water Quality Assurance Rules
What are the duties for Drinking Water Suppliers? ⇒
Registered or Unregistered Supplies
What’s the difference and your duty! ⇒
Drinking Water Standards
Providing potable water for safe drinking water NZ. ⇒
Aesthetic Values
Taste, odour, appearance, … what is important for your drinking water. ⇒
Small Drinking Water Suppliers in NZ
Find out your duties and compliance. ⇒
Taumata Arowai & Hinekōrako
Register your supply with the new water service regulator. ⇒
Acceptable Solutions
What are solutions for different Drinking Water Supplies? ⇒
Water Carriers are Drinking Water Suppliers
Read more about your obligations. ⇒
Provide Potable Water
How to deliver safe drinking water for your customers. ⇒
Drinking Water Safety Plan
Get legal compliance by implementing a WSP. ⇒
We take care of the pesky paperwork
Are you a drinking water supplier in New Zealand? Our water experts team will be happy to help you get your legal compliance. This way, you can get back to your day-to-day business while we take care of the tedious paperwork.
Water Services Act 2021 & Drinking Water Suppliers
Bringing some light into the dark! What is a drinking water supplier?
Drinking Water Suppliers
Domestic self-supply & domestic dwelling
Water Carrier Service
Definition
A Person that owns or operates a water supply
AND
delivers drinking water to more than one household.
Water Supply
The water supply of a drinking water supplier is either a rainwater harvesting system, a spring/ bore or well.
Your water supply needs to be registered with Taumata Arowai.
Your Duties
As a drinking water supplier you need to comply with
- Drinking Water Standards
- Aesthetic Values
- Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules
- Provide a Drinking Water Safety Plan
OR
- Drinking Water Acceptable Solutions
Definition
A “domestic self-supply” is a self-contained dwelling which has its own drinking water supply.
A “domestic dwelling” is a stand-alone building used as a single household unit, whether or not it is let on a long or short-term basis; permanently or temporarily occupied (e.g. a bach).
Water Supply
The water supply of a domestic self-supply & domestic dwelling is normally a rainwater collection system, a bore, spring or well.
Additionally, the water can also be retrieved from a lake or river.
Your Duties
You are not considered a drinking water supplier and do not have any obligations arising from the Water Services Act 2021. However, you have legal requirements to provide potable & safe water under Building Code G12. As soon as you serve more than a single household, e.g. having an office at home and seeing clients, you are considered a drinking water supplier.
Definition
A water carrier service obtains water from other supplies and delivers it by tanker to its customers or another drinking water supplier.
Water Supply
The supply source may be your own water supply (e.g. bore/ aquifer). Or it may be a water supply managed by other people or organisations (e.g. bulk filling station).
You need to register your water supplies with Taumata Arowai to identify them as your water source for your carrier service.
Your Duties
As a water carrier you need to
- register with Taumata Arowai
- renew your registration annually
- comply with Drinking Water Standards for New Zealand
- submit a Drinking Water Safety Plan
Bringing light into the dark
Are you struggling to understand what you are? Do you need help understanding your duties and legal obligations? No problem, our team of experts will help you quickly and straightforwardly.
Registered or unregistered Supplies? These are your duties!
Registered Supplies
Definition & Duties
Registered suppliers need to provide a Drinking Water Safety Plan that meets the requirements of the Water Services Act 2021. This plan needs to be submitted to Taumata Arowai by November 2022. Alternatively, registered drinking water suppliers can comply with a Drinking Water Acceptable Solution. There are three water sources:
Roof Water Supplies
Bore & Spring Water Supplies
Rural Agricultural Water Supplies
Unregistered Supplies
Definition & Duties
Unregistered water suppliers have up to 4 years to register with the water regulator until 2025 and a further 3 years to hit the mark regarding the regulations, e.g. providing a Water Safety Plan, until 2028. This gives them 7 years to fully comply with the Act’s requirements.
However, unregistered water suppliers have the duty of care to ensure any drinking water they supply is safe to drink. That means providing potable drinking water that meets the NZ drinking water standards.
Small Drinking Water Suppliers
Your duties
Although unregistered drinking water supplies have time till 2025 to comply with their obligation of the Water Services Act, small water supplies still need to:
- Register supply with Taumata Arowai.
- Ensure that drinking water is safe. The problem must be resolved immediately if the water becomes unsafe.
- Ensure that duties under the Water Services Act are met.
- Comply with the obligation to report in the event of an emergency.
- Comply with record-keeping requirements.
Instead of implementing a Water Safety Plan, small suppliers can also comply with the Acceptable Solutions provided by Taumata Arowai. It represents a practical and cost-effective alternative to providing safe drinking water for their community.
Small Supply Rules & Acceptable Solutions
Source water rules
Source water rules cover surface water supplies, groundwater and rainwater collection from roofs. These sources need to be tested for E.coli and total coliform monthly, as well as ph, turbidity and conductivity. In addition, other parameters of the extracted water must be tested regularly.
Treatment Rules
The treatment process includes 3 steps for water disinfection:
1. Media, membrane or cartridge filtration.
2. UV filtration according to NSF standards.
3. Chlorination, a minimum dose of chlorine is required.
Distribution Rules
The water source monitoring requirements relate strongly to the water quality testing parameters. In addition, the backflow risk assessment to the water supply, and appropriate measures need to be in place.
Innovative Water Treatment technologies for Drinking Water Suppliers
We have years of experience in professional water treatment and the quality products to make your water source safe. Consequently, you can deliver potable drinking water to your customers without worry.
Innovative Water Treatment Technologies for Water Supplies in NZ
Aqua Works assists Drinking Water Suppliers to meet their legal duties!
Instead of implementing a water safety plan, small suppliers can also comply with an Acceptable Solutions provided by Taumata Arowai.
Aqua Works provides the required product solutions to meet these obligations:
Media, Membran & Cartridge Filtration
UV Filtration Systems
Chlorination Water Treatment
Water Pumps
Furthermore, we will gladly take over the tedious paperwork for you and take care of your Water Safety Plan, forms, check lists and dockets in this regard.
Therefore, talk to our water expert team and figure out how we can support your business!
Water Treatment Expert NZ
At Aqua Works we understand the challenges of different water sources in New Zealand. Thus, our water expert team knows how to make them fit for human consumption.
Water is the elixir of life and our passion
Exceptional support for our water filtration customers
20+ years of experience in Rodney means Aqua Works is your local water filtration expert. Our knowledge of the community and the region we live in, combined with our passion for clean drinking water, is the foundation for our daily work. We offer customised water solutions supporting you to meet your personal needs and individual budget. Our connected, smart product range enables you to master the water in your home. At the same time, it ensures the best purification of your water for healthy, tasty water enjoyment.
As a purpose-driven, local family business, we support you in your decision making by sharing our knowledge about your water resources. This way, we help you to be informed, so you can make great decisions empowering your families health and well being. The protection and provision of safe, potable drinking water in our lives is paramount to all of us. Aqua Work’s water filtration systems, UV filter purification, water treatment, ozone systems, and water pumps give you peace of mind to have a quality trusted, safe system.
Going the extra mile at Aqua Works is what we do to ensure your water is healthy and fit for its purpose. Hence, all our water treatment products are field tried-and-tested, including innovative products and solutions. Do you need help with UV filters, water filtration systems and water pumps or our high-quality UV filter service, water pump repairs or water pump service? Give us a call today at 0800 AQUA WORKS. As we often say, “If you don’t have a filter – You are the filter”.
And if something happens spontaneously, call our 24/7 water pump emergency service at 0212 787 427. We will take care of your problem immediately and make sure that the water in your home is running again as quickly as possible.