The new water services regulator for Aotearoa New
Zealand, Taumata Arowai, is consulting on proposed new
Drinking Water Standards, Quality Assurance Rules, Aesthetic
Values, Acceptable Solutions for Roof Water Supplies, Spring
and Bore Water Supplies and Rural Agricultural Water
Supplies, and Network Environmental Performance
Measures.
These documents will guide the way
drinking water is supplied to people across the country and
help to ensure it is safe.
Taumata Arowai began its
role as the regulator on 15 November 2021, replacing the
previous drinking water regulator, the Ministry of Health,
under the Water Services Act 2021.
The new
Crown entity has functions in relation to drinking water,
wastewater, and stormwater. However, it will begin by
focusing on regulating drinking water services to help
ensure safe and sufficient drinking water across
Aotearoa.
Chief Executive Bill Bayfield said
that this includes acting when a drinking water supplier
fails to meet its duties, particularly where drinking water
poses a serious risk to public
health.
“Everyone in Aotearoa should
have reliable access to safe drinking water every day – no
matter where they live. This is not the case currently,”
said Mr. Bayfield.
“For drinking water
suppliers, we are keeping our messages simple. You have a
duty to ensure the drinking water you provide is safe,”
said Mr. Bayfield.
Mr. Bayfield said
that the new drinking water regulator will take a phased
approach, with focus in the first year on transitioning
those suppliers previously registered with the Ministry of
Health.
“This means that Taumata
Arowai deals first with the registration and regulation of
the country’s most complex water supply arrangements and
those supplies that represent the greatest risk. Most of
these are currently managed by local
bodies.”
Under the new legislation,
previously unregistered suppliers will have up to four years
to register their supply (November 2025), and up to seven
years to comply with the new standards and rules (November
2028). New drinking water suppliers who start operating
after 15November 2021 must comply with the Water Services
Act 2021 from the outset.
“We are
going to approach this in a pragmatic way based on the
scale, complexity, and risk of different water supplies. It
is important though, to remember that as the regulator, we
will be expected to hold suppliers accountable when they
fail to meet their legal duties to their communities,”
said Mr. Bayfield.
The proposed
documents included in this consultation relate to the
regulatory role of Taumata Arowai under the Water Services
Act 2021. They are targeted at drinking water suppliers and
contain technical content that will guide
thewaydrinkingwateris supplied safely
topeople in Aotearoa.
Mr. Bayfield said
that the documents have been developed in collaboration with
sector reference groups from various drinking water supply
types and representative groups from across Aotearoa, along
with international experts.
“We want to
make sure that the regulatory framework is fit for purpose
for the diverse needs of various water suppliers. Your views
are important to us, and we encourage you to have your
say,” said Mr.
Bayfield.
Consultation begins today
and runs until 28 March. Feedback will be used to further
refine the proposed new Drinking Water Standards, Quality
Assurance Rules, Aesthetic Values, Acceptable Solutions for
Roof Water Supplies, Spring and Bore Water Supplies and
Rural Agricultural Water Supplies, and Network Environmental
Performance Measures, before these are finalised and
implemented later in 2022.
The consultation
documents and submission forms are available on our website:
www.te-puna-korero.taumataarowai.govt.nz
Notes:
Taumata
Arowaiis a Crown entity established under theTaumata
Arowai–the Water Services Regulator Act
2020.
The establishment of Taumata
Arowai as an independent regulator for drinking water
andnew legislation in the form of the Water Services Act
2021(replacing Part 2A of the Health Act 1956) are
integral parts of the Government’s Three Waters Reform
programme.
Taumata Arowai is not part of the
Three Waters Reform programme looking to create new publicly
owned water entities. Our role is to regulate rather than
determine future changes to the delivery of water
services.
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