Safe Water for Cafés and Restaurants
Compliant water systems for hospitality.
Water you can rely on, every service
We already look after the water for cafés and restaurants across Rodney, including high-end restaurants where losing water during service isn’t an option.
We take care of the whole job: onsite appraisal, water testing, system design, installation, registration and ongoing servicing. Owners get one point of contact. Architects, specifiers and project managers get a system designed to the rules, with the documentation to match.
Key dates: existing cafés and restaurants on their own water must register their supply with Taumata Arowai by November 2028 and fully comply by 2030. Most will need an upgrade to get there, and we can handle it for you.
Upgrading for the new rules?
Call Steve on 0800 278 296.
The rules for food businesses
If you’re on your own water, three things apply.
Food Act (MPI)
Water for food, drinks, ice, dishes and handwashing must be safe to drink. Self-supplied water must pass an accredited lab test.
Water Services Act
You’re a drinking water supplier. Existing supplies register by November 2028 and fully comply by 2030.
Acceptable Solution
The simplest way for most cafés to comply: a fine filter plus validated UV, because your water is open to the public.
If your water is hard, acidic or carries iron, we treat it before the UV, and coffee machines and ice makers often need a scale filter. See commercial water softeners and filters.
Testing your water
MPI’s guidance says self-supplied water used for food must meet these limits:
- E. coli: less than 1 per 100 mL, tested by an accredited lab
- Turbidity (cloudiness): no more than 5 NTU
- If you chlorinate: at least 0.2 mg/L free chlorine after 30 minutes, and pH 6.5 to 8.0
Test any new supply before you use it in food areas, and keep the results with your food control plan. We can take the samples, arrange the lab testing and explain the results.
One team, start to finish
We already look after the water for cafés and restaurants across Rodney. We can take care of:
Onsite appraisal of your supply
Water testing through an accredited lab
System design sized to peak service
Installation by our registered plumbers
Registration and Acceptable Solution set-up
Servicing planned around your trading hours
24/7 emergency call-outs
From appraisal to ongoing service
One local team for the whole job, with minimal disruption to your business.
1
Onsite appraisal
We assess your source, storage, demand and any treatment you already have.
2
Water testing
Accredited lab testing, so you have the proof MPI and your verifier need.
3
System design
Sized to your peak service, with the specification and documents your project team needs.
4
Fine filtration
A 5 micron or finer cartridge before the UV, as the Acceptable Solution requires.
5
Validated UV
Validated UV delivering at least 40 mJ/cm², because your water is open to the public.
6
Installation
Our registered plumbers install it, scheduled to keep downtime to a minimum.
7
Registration
We register your supply with Taumata Arowai and set you up under the Acceptable Solution.
8
Ongoing service
Scheduled servicing, lamp and filter changes, testing and the records your verifier asks for.
Clean water for the kitchen
Safe water at every table
Drinking water customers can trust
Want peace of mind that your customers are drinking safe water?
Call Steve. We’ll check your supply and bring it up to the new rules, with as little disruption to your business as possible.
Local jobs. Local trust. Local experts.
Some of the commercial water systems we look after.
The Workshops, Matakana
Commercial water treatment, since 2024
We service and maintain their Viqua Pro50 UV system, validated to the USEPA UVDGM. That includes water testing and ongoing servicing of the whole treatment system, so customers, staff and visitors have safe drinking water.
Northbase, Mangawhai
Commercial water infrastructure, since 2025
We’ve delivered commercial water, plumbing and NSF-certified UV filtration for the Northbase Mangawhai industrial hub, including pumps, water tanks and compliant potable water systems.
Matakana Water
Commercial bore water treatment, since 2018
We manage the commercial bore water treatment system at Duck Creek Properties / Matakana Water, including NSF-certified UV filtration, pumps, plumbing, water testing and ongoing compliance servicing.
Don’t just take our word for it…
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Easy and straight forward process every year. Great team and great service”
CoastLab Team, Orewa, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“As a Property Manager at Barfoot & Thompson Albany, I recently needed urgent assistance with a fault in the water pump at one of our rural properties. Steve and the team at Aqua Works were outstanding. They responded promptly, communicated well throughout the process, and even arranged for the repair to be carried out that same evening. … It’s reassuring to have a reliable contractor who goes above and beyond when urgent situations arise.”
Julia Baldock-Chung, Barfoot & Thompson Albany, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Great company, very reliable. They helped fix a leaking water pump for no extra charge while they came to do the annual filter replacement. Recently, I had to call them on an emergency basis to solve a problem with a water filter purchased from another company. They came immediately and replaced it so my tenant wasn’t inconvenienced. Thank you very much.”
Harpal Kler, March 2026
Why hospitality businesses choose Aqua Works
We already look after the water for several cafés and restaurants across Rodney, including high-end restaurants where downtime isn’t an option. We also provide commercial water treatment for schools, farms and other businesses.
- One point of contact, from appraisal to servicing
- Systems sized for your busiest service
- Servicing planned around your trading hours
- Documentation for verifiers, specifiers and project managers
- 24/7 emergency call-outs
Local expertise. Local trust.
Four of our team have passed the NZQA small drinking water supplies course, and four have passed the NZQA course on writing Drinking Water Safety Plans.
Café and restaurant FAQs
Is my café a drinking water supplier?
Yes, if your own water supply provides water that customers can drink. You’ll need to register your supply with Taumata Arowai.
When does a café or restaurant need to register its water supply?
Supplies operating before 15 November 2021 have until November 2028 to register and until 2030 to fully comply. New supplies must register before they start operating.
What does MPI need from a café or restaurant on its own water supply?
The water you use for food, drinks, ice, dishes and handwashing must be safe to drink. With your own supply, you need accredited lab results to prove it, kept with your food control plan.
Does my café need validated UV?
Under the Self-supplied Buildings Acceptable Solution, yes, because your water is available to the public. UV installed before 17 October 2022 is exempt if you have written proof it delivers 40 mJ/cm².
Can Aqua Works work with our architect or project manager on a café water system?
Yes. We can provide a system design, product data sheets, UV validation certificates and a service plan, and coordinate installation with the other trades on site.
Can Aqua Works install and service a café water system around our trading hours?
Yes. We plan installations and servicing for quieter times to keep downtime to a minimum, and our 24/7 emergency team is on call if something goes wrong.
What if my café’s water test fails?
Stop using the water for food until it’s fixed. Boil it for at least a minute, disinfect it or use another safe supply in the meantime, then find and fix the cause. We can help with both.
How often does a UV system need servicing?
Change the lamp as the manufacturer recommends, usually once a year, and replace the filters regularly so the UV keeps working properly.
Can Aqua Works take care of the water supply paperwork for my café?
Yes. We can register your supply, set you up under the Acceptable Solution and keep the service records you need.
Safe water, and compliant by 2030
Existing cafés on their own water must register by November 2028 and fully comply by 2030. Book an onsite appraisal and we’ll upgrade your system for both in one go, then look after it for you.