Unplanned supply in an emergency
If a drinking water supply is disrupted and an unplanned replacement supply is needed, the supplier should comply with requirements of the Water Services Act 2021 as far as reasonably practicable.
Key things you need to know when establishing an unplanned drinking water supply can be found on this page.
What is an unplanned supply?
Section 34 of the Water Services Act 2021outbound (the Act) defines an unplanned drinking water supply as the temporary supply of drinking water from an unregistered drinking water supply to any place where:
(a) the usual drinking water supply to that place has failed or is unsafe to drink; and
(b) the persons at that place cannot reasonably access a sufficient quantity of drinking water from a registered drinking water supply.
The need for an unplanned drinking water supply is likely to arise where there is a safety or sufficiency issue affecting a large geographical area as a result of a natural event such as a drought, storm or earthquake.
Local supply disruptions can generally be managed by using a water carrier from another nearby supply. However, this becomes difficult if there are no other supplies in the area or where other supplies are also impacted.
What do I need to do if I am supplying drinking water on an unplanned basis?
If you are supplying drinking water on an unplanned basis you must comply with section 21 and section 22outbound of the Act as far as is reasonably practicable.
Section 21 describes the supplier’s duty to provide safe drinking water. Section 22 describes the supplier's duty to comply with Drinking Water Standardsoutbound.
You must also notify the Water Services Authority - Taumata Arowai immediately of the temporary drinking water supply arrangement and comply with any directions issued by a compliance officer under section 104outbound of the Act.
If possible, you should also let us know:
- who is providing the temporary supply
- the location of the temporary supply
- if water is being abstracted, the source water being used
- if the water is being treated, the treatment process being used
- how the supply is being delivered (e.g. directly to consumers or through a water carrier or existing networked supply)
- if any advice is being provided to consumers such as to boil water before drinking
- if any testing will be undertaken
- when the unplanned supply has ceased.
If you supply drinking water from an unregistered drinking water supply on an unplanned basis for more than 60 days in any 12-month period, you must register the supply and comply with legislative requirements (except if a state of emergency declaration or transition period under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002outbound is in effect).
What treatment is required for an unplanned supply?
There are no minimum treatment or monitoring requirements for an unplanned supply.
The requirements under the Act described above should be met as far as reasonably practicable. Circumstances may mean it’s necessary to establish a supply as quickly as possible and advise people connected to the supply to use alternative methods to make the water safe to drink, such as boiling or disinfecting with bleach.
Circumstances may change as events unfold. For example, immediately following an extreme weather event it may not be reasonably practicable to submit water samples to an accredited laboratory to test for potentially harmful microbiological and chemical components. However, as transport routes reopen, sampling might become possible.
How might an unplanned supply deliver drinking water?
An unplanned supply is unlikely to have a distribution system. There are a few options for the delivery of water including:
- operating a community water station (tap) where people can fill containers with water for drinking
- distributing water to people using a registered drinking water carrier
- acting as a water carrier (e.g. by using a tanker normally used for another purpose, such as a milk tanker, to distribute water)
- using an unplanned supply to top up an existing registered drinking water supply (note: the responsibilities of the registered supplier would not change because they are supplementing their supply with an unplanned supply).
Resource consent
You should also discuss your plans with your regional council or unitary authority as a resource consent may be required.
This webpage is intended as a guideline and summarises legal requirements but does not address every requirement under the Water Services Act. It is not intended to be definitive and is not legal advice. Drinking water suppliers are responsible for understanding and complying with their legislative duties. The Authority may review and revise this page over time. If you are using a printed copy, please check the website to make sure it is up to date.