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Drinking water supplier information

Water suppliers are defined as those that supply drinking water to others, outside of your own home.

New rules for Water Suppliers

  • From 15 Nov 2022 water suppliers are required to supply safe drinking water and to comply with the Drinking Water Standards (DWS). They are required to take reasonably practicable steps to achieve the aesthetic values and to provide sufficient quantity.
  • If a water supply was registered with Ministry of Health prior to 15 Nov 2021, then they should have heard from Taumata Arowai, and their supply should have been registered automatically.
  • If a water supplier and the supply has not been registered, then they are required to register their supply by November 2025 and must fully comply with the Water Services Act 2021 by November 2028.
  • Each water supplier must prepare a drinking water safety plan by November 2028. Taumata Arowai’s website provides guidance and templates to make this easier. There are also some “acceptable solutions” that can be adopted depending on the water supply. If an acceptable solution is adopted, then they would be deemed to have complied with the DWS and a water safety plan is not required.
  • If the water supply doesn’t fit in with an acceptable solution there are other options to comply with. The options to comply will depend on the water supply and how many people are supplied.

Find out more

 

Evaluation of Water Supplies in the New Plymouth District

Part 7 Subpart 1 of the Local Government Act details specific requirements of Councils to make assessments of drinking water services and to ensure communities have access to safe drinking water.  Section 125 specifically requires an assessment of drinking water services available within a territorial authority’s district at least once every 3 years.

In September 2023 NPDC sent out a survey to 345 properties within the New Plymouth District that were identified as potential water suppliers as defined in the Water Services Act 2021.

Properties were sent the survey if they were not connected to one of NPDC’s water supplies AND were one or more of the following:

  • Identified as commercial or industrial in the District Plan
  • Had multiple dwellings recorded against the property.
  • Registered in accordance with the Food Act
  • Identified as a school or early childhood education provider.
  • Identified as a hall or marae.
  • Identified in the 2006 register of drinking water supplies and is now not a registered water supply.

Of the 108 Responses received five provided extra information that indicated they were not water providers.

The remaining 103 surveys were evaluated and based on the responses they were given guidance around their Water Supply requirements.