Have your say on proposed changes to Acceptable Solutions
We want your feedback on proposed changes to Acceptable Solutions.
An Acceptable Solution is currently one possible compliance pathway for some:
- rural supplies that provide water for farm use (e.g. irrigation, stock) as well as for people to drink
- drinking water supplies that serve 500 people or fewer.
The aim of the proposed changes is to help save drinking water suppliers, and their communities, time, effort and cost, while providing good quality water to the people who drink it every day.
Find out more and have your say.
Consultation closes at 5pm on Friday, 13 June 2025.
Information on current Acceptable Solutions
Drinking water suppliers have options to meet their responsibility to provide the communities they serve with safe drinking water.
One option is to follow the Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules. Following an Acceptable Solution is another option for some supplies that:
- use roof water
- collect water from springs or bores
- provide water for people to drink as well as for agricultural use. (These supplies are often called ‘mixed-use rural supplies’).
Supplies are classified as 'mixed-use rural' if at least 50% of water supplied is for farm use (e.g. irrigation or stock water) and up to 50% is used as drinking water by people who live in the area.
If you choose to use an Acceptable Solution, you:
| Do need to | Don’t need to |
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Clarifications
A few suppliers have asked us who holds specific responsibilities under an Acceptable Solution. In February 2025, we published a policy statement and flowchart to help clarify this.
We’ve also begun a project to improve our Acceptable Solutions. Our aim is to help save drinking water suppliers time and effort, without compromising safety for communities. More information will be available in 2025.
See further clarifications on other aspects of the Acceptable Solutions.