Legislation and regulations

Regulations

Regulations made under the Water Services Act 2021outbound by the Governor-General by Order in Council on recommendation of the Minister of Local Government. Published on the New Zealand Legislation website.

Water Services (Fees and Charges) Regulations 2021outbound 

Water Services (Levies on Water Services) Regulations 2025outbound

Drinking Water Standards

Regulations to set drinking water standards made under the Water Services Act 2021outbound by the Governor-General by Order in Council on recommendation of the Minister of Local Government and following public consultation. Published on the New Zealand Legislation website.

Water Services (Drinking Water Standards for New Zealand) Regulations 2022outbound

Compliance Rules

Compliance rules made under the Water Services Act 2021outbound by The Water Services Authority - Taumata Arowai following public consultation.

Current Rules

Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules 2022 (Revised 2024) – this is a consolidated version of the Rules including amendments that came into effect on 1 January 2025.

Previous Rules

Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules 2022 – this version does not include amendments.

Amendment Rules

Drinking Water Quality Assurance Very Small to Medium Drinking Water Supplies Amendment Rules 2024 – these Rules amend the Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules 2022. You can use this document to see what has changed from the previous Rules.  

Aesthetic Values

Aesthetic values issued under the Water Services Act 2021outbound by the Water Services Authority - Taumata Arowai following public consultation.

Gazette Notice: Aesthetic Values for Drinking Water Notice 2022 or download our PDF version.

Acceptable Solutions 

Acceptable Solutions issued under the Water Services Act 2021outbound  by the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai following public consultation. 

Water Services (Mixed use Rural) Drinking Water Acceptable Solution 2025

Water Services (Self supplied Buildings) Drinking Water Acceptable Solution 2025

Water Services (Small to Medium Networks) Drinking Water Acceptable Solution 2025

Requirements for laboratories

Requirements relating to laboratories prescribed under the Water Services Act 2021outbound by the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai.

Requirements Relating to Laboratories 2021

Record-keeping requirements for monitoring and reporting purposes

Record-keeping requirements made under the Water Services Act 2021outbound by the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai requiring drinking water and wastewater network operators to keep and maintain records relating to compliance with applicable environmental performance measures and targets.

Current record-keeping requirements: Environmental Performance Measures Record-Keeping Requirements for Drinking Water and Wastewater Network Operators Notice 2025.

The applicable measures referred to in the notice can be found in the Network Environmental Performance Measures Guide 2025. 

Exemptions

Some exemptions granted by the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai under sections 57 or 58 of the Water Services Act 2021 are secondary legislation. This includes exemptions from the requirement to use residual disinfection granted for a class of drinking water supplier and general exemptions granted for an individual or a class of supplier.

Gazetted exemptions can be found in the list below.

All exemptions are published on the Exemptions page 

The New Zealand Gazette is the official Government newspaper and authoritative journal of constitutional record. It includes official government notifications that are required by legislation to be published.

Read our Gazette notices.