Recent reports from water regulator, Taumata Arowai, showed that nearly half a million Kiwis do not have access to safe drinking water.
Issues that were flagged included high E coli levels and people getting water from water suppliers that did not have proper barrier protection.
It is not only essential that we have clean drinking water for health reasons, there are also legislative requirements around the need to meet certain standards under The Water Services Act 2021.
According to the report, as an example, 87% of schools who supply their own drinking water are not currently compliant.
What are the requirements under the Act?
Anyone that supplies water, such as schools or rural properties who supply water to their neighbours from a bore, must register as a supplier by 15 November 2025 and then comply with the legislation by 15 November 2028.
Taumata Arowai publicly stated last month that they will be focusing on those that are not compliant, saying –
‘Under the previous drinking water regime, many private and community supplies were not registered with the Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora. Given the relative newness of the legislation and the establishment of Taumata Arowai as regulator, there is limited information about the quality of the water these suppliers provide and the associated health risks. We are now turning our attention to this group of suppliers.’
Under the Act you are required to have a Drinking Water Safety Plan and follow the specified drinking water standards.
You do however have the option to implement what is termed an ‘acceptable solution’, which may save you from having to submit a Drinking Water Safety Plan.
Get compliant with WaterSAFE
Watersmart has an ‘acceptable solution’ in place called WaterSAFE. It is a great option for a water supply for less than 500 people.
It is a plug and play water treatment system that uses the highest quality water filtration equipment available to help ensure that people have access to good quality, clean drinking water.
It only requires connection to your pumped water supply, delivery line, and a 20-amp power supply – so it is super easy to install. In addition, the system will alert you if any service or maintenance work is required via email or text message alerts 24/7 – reducing unexpected interruptions.
Recognising that WaterSAFE is often installed in remote areas that can be cut off from receiving parts or supplies following adverse weather conditions, we will include a spare set of parts with the unit. If you therefore find yourself isolated with a part needing to be replaced, we can talk you through fixing it to ensure that your unit is back up and running and clean water still flowing.Ab
Find out more about the requirements under The Water Services Act 2021 visit watersmart.co.nz/products/water-services-act
