As the water services regulator for Aotearoa New Zealand, we help develop Drinking Water Standards, and are responsible for making Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules, Aesthetic Values, and Acceptable Solutions.
Collectively, these set minimum requirements for drinking water suppliers and help ensure communities receive safe drinking water.
Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules
The Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules (Rules) set out how drinking water suppliers must comply with key parts of the Drinking Water Standards and the Water Services Act 2021.
We intend to publish guidance on the Rules. In the meantime, we've clarified some of the Rule interpretations in these tables.
Find out more about your reporting requirements under the Rules.
Changes to the Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules
Changes have been made to the Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules for supplies that serve 500 or fewer people, following consultation with the sector.
The revised Rules clarify monitoring and reporting requirements for very small communities, small and medium supplies operating under level 1 and level 2 Rules and come into effect on 1 January 2025.
We have developed supporting information to help suppliers understand what the changes mean for them.
Guidance on the Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules
We have created guidance for very small communities as well as small and medium suppliers to address the relevant rules and common issues and risks they might face.
For those who need to view the previous Rules, these are available on our Legislation page.
Drinking Water Standards
Drinking Water Standards set the Maximum Acceptable Values (MAVs) for a range of substances which can affect the safety and quality of drinking water. The MAVs are based on guideline values set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Drinking Water Aesthetic Values
Drinking water not only needs to be safe, but it also needs to look, taste, and smell acceptable too. Aesthetic Values for drinking water specify or provide minimum or maximum values for substances and other characteristics that relate to the acceptability of drinking water.
Acceptable Solutions
There are a range of ready-made options to help drinking water suppliers meet their compliance obligations under the Water Services Act 2021. These are called Acceptable Solutions.
They apply to specific supply types and situations and must be implemented in their entirety.
- Drinking Water Acceptable Solution for Roof Water Supplies
- Drinking Water Acceptable Solution for Spring and Bore Water Supplies
- Drinking Water Acceptable Solution for Mixed-use Rural Water Supplies
If you’re a registered supplier and choose to use an Acceptable Solution, then you don’t need to submit a Drinking Water Safety Plan. You do need to let us know you've chosen this option in Hinekōrako, our online self-service portal. For information on how to add an Acceptable Solution to your supply details, please refer to our Edit a supply guidance.