New Zealand drinking water supply regulations

New Zealand drinking water supplies

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Taumata Arowai is the New Zealand water regulator for drinking water suppliers.

A supplier is where one pipe line supplies more than one house from any source of water.

The new regulations are now established.

Water quality parameters have been set. These include Maximum Acceptable Values for water quality and Aesthetic quality values.

Check your water with a test, we can help arrange this. We do analysis on tests and provide recommendations to ensure your water meets the parameters set.

The parameters can be viewed here:

The new Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules

Brief summary:

There are 3 components of a supplier:

1. having its own water source
2. treating the water so it is safe
3. ensuring the distribution is safe

Every building that is supplied by its own water supply and supplying other buildings with the same water supply should ensure the water is safe to drink.

Basically, the rules demand all water supplied must be treated via 5 micron filtration and UV. Backflow and cross connection risk need to be eliminated and assessed.

There are different levels of supply:

a) Very Small Community. Drinking water supplies of any configuration or arrangement that provide drinking water to a population of up to 25 people. Compliance: monitoring every 6 months of E-Coli, total coliforms - reporting annually.

b) Small 26 – 100 people. Varying Population module requirements can apply to this drinking water supply category. Compliance: monitoring every 3 months of E-Coli, total coliforms and turbidity - reporting annually.

c) Medium 101 – 500 people. Varying Population module requirements can apply to this drinking water supply category. Compliant to Level 2 (monitoring every month on a number of items, reporting annually). A number of treatment processes needed.

d) Large >500 people. Compliant to Level 3 (quite complex, ask for information)