It’s been 12 months since Taumata Arowai became the
water services regulator for Aotearoa New
Zealand.
Marking another significant milestone for the
regulator, the new Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules,
Drinking Water Standards, Aesthetic Values and Acceptable
Solutions all take effect from today.
The suite of
documents set out important regulatory requirements that
will help ensure drinking water suppliers provide safe
drinking water to their communities.
Bill Bayfield,
Chief Executive of Taumata Arowai said that the new
requirements are a deliberate shift away from an outdated
system to a modern regulatory approach that will ensure
everyone has access to safe and sufficient drinking water
every day.
“This new system changes the way drinking
water is monitored – one of the most significant changes
is that local councils and other suppliers will now be
required to give Taumata Arowai assurance that the water
they supply is safe.”
The new Drinking Water Quality
Assurance Rules, Drinking Water Standards, Aesthetic Values
and Acceptable Solutions all come into effect on 14 November
2022 for all registered drinking water suppliers. The
Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand 2005 (Revised 2018)
are also revoked.
Unregistered drinking water supplies
(other than self-supplied domestic dwellings which are not
covered by this regime) must be registered by 2025 and fully
comply with the Water Services Act 2021 by 2028. All
drinking water suppliers have a duty of care to provide safe
drinking water regardless of whether they are registered or
not.
Taumata Arowai took over from the Ministry of
Health as the drinking water regulator on 15 November 2021.
All drinking water suppliers registered with the Ministry of
Health immediately before 15 November 2021 have had their
recorded drinking water supplies transferred to the Taumata
Arowai register. This migration happened automatically and
has been followed by a rigorous process of data checking and
verification to ensure that we have accurate information
about drinking water supplies and suppliers.
The
Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules, Drinking Water
Standards, Aesthetic Values and Acceptable Solutions were
developed in consultation with the sector – to ensure they
are practical and pragmatic.
“Today is significant,
we’ve worked closely with the water services sector to
develop a regime that’s fit for purpose. Getting to this
point and seeing the new Rules and Standards come into force
today has been a large task for all involved. It is
something we should all be proud of and is a step forward in
seeing all New Zealanders having access to safe and
sufficient drinking water every day,” said Bill
Bayfield.
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