Registering your supply
If your supply serves more than 25 people or for non-residential use, you need to register with us.
Content on this page can help you understand what registration is, who needs to register and when.
To register your supply, see our self-service portal Hinekōrako.
Most drinking water supplies need to be registered
The Water Services Act 2021 legally requires almost all drinking water supplies to be registered with us and for the information we hold about your supply to be kept up to date.
You need to be registered with us if your drinking water supply meets any of these criteria:
- water is supplied to 26 people or more
- water is used for non-residential use, e.g. drinking in public, commercial, industrial or community settings.
Accurate and up-to-date information about your drinking water supply helps us support you if something threatens the safety or reliability of your water.
The deadline for registering and ensuring your drinking water complies with the Water Services Act 2021 depends on whether you are managing an existing supply or setting up a new one.
Supplies that existed before 2021
If your drinking water supply/scheme was operating before 15 November 2021 (and you are not a water carrier):
-
you have until November 2028 to register with us
-
you have until 2030 to fully comply with the Act.
New supplies and water carriers (set up after 15 November 2021)
Before a new drinking water supply/scheme starts operating, the person responsible for the supply must:
-
register with us
-
ensure the supply complies with the Act.
(This includes water carriers that existed before 2021).
Existing drinking water supplies have longer to register and comply to allow time for people to make necessary improvements to infrastructure.
Use our assessment tool to learn more about the requirements for your supply type.
What type of drinking water do I provide?
If your supply was registered with the Ministry of Health before 2021, you should have heard from us to confirm your details. Your supply will be named on the public register if the details have been successfully verified. If your supply isn’t listed, please contact OpsSupport@taumataarowai.govt.nz.
Public register of drinking water supplies
See our information about treating and testing drinking water.
Water monitoring, treatment and testing
You don’t need to register if you supply drinking water to 25 people or fewer and the water is only for domestic use.
All drinking water suppliers must make sure water supplied to their communities is safe to drink and take immediate action if it could be unsafe.
If you are working toward compliance by 2030, it's good to plan ahead. Meeting your legal responsibilities might require improvements to your water supply system.
Assessing treatment and preparing to register at Dunstan Hills orchard
As they prepare to register, people who manage existing drinking water supplies are assessing and upgrading how they treat and test water. Dunstan Hills orchard in Central Otago provides drinking water for staff and for processing fruit. Operations Manager Ian Nicholls is learning more about the requirements for his supply ahead of registering with the Water Services Authority by November 2028.
Decide which compliance path you will follow
Options for complying with the Water Services Act 2021 depend on how many people you provide water for and what type of supply you run. You will either follow an Acceptable Solution or submit a drinking water safety plan and follow the Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules (the Rules).
Use our assessment tool to learn more about your supply type.
What type of drinking water supply do I provide?
To register, you’ll need to know which compliance path your supply will follow.
Acceptable Solution
An Acceptable Solution is a pre-approved way that some water supplies can comply with regulations covering water treatment, monitoring and testing.
Depending on the number of buildings connected to your supply, it can be an easier and cheaper way for you to meet your responsibilities.
You don’t need to prepare a drinking water safety plan or report regularly to us about your monitoring and test results.
Drinking water safety plan (DWSP) and Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules
A DWSP records all the risks in your water supply, from the source to the tap, and outlines how you are managing those risks.
The Rules set out requirements for treating, monitoring and testing your water, and reporting back to us about the monitoring you’ve undertaken.
Different rules apply to supplies that normally serve between 26 and 100 people and supplies that normally serve between 101 and 500 people.
Preparing a drinking water safety plan
About Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules
Share supply information and keep it up to date
Hinekōrako is the online portal where you register and manage information about your supply. As part of registration, we ask for information about the type, size and location of your supply, how the water is sourced, treated and distributed and who’s responsible for each aspect of the operation.
Some information you provide is also published in a public register of drinking water supplies. This allows members of the public to find out who supplies drinking water in their area and report any problems or concerns.
Registering and managing your drinking water supply in Hinekōrako
The supply owner is responsible for registration
The owner of a drinking water supply or scheme is responsible for making sure the supply is registered in our Hinekōrako online portal. The owner is the person, people or organisation with control of the supply. Some supplies have one clear owner and others may have multiple owners.
The owner can delegate the registration process to someone else, for example the person who operates the supply. The owner is still responsible for making sure information provided in the registration application is accurate and details are kept up to date.
New supplies need to register before they start
Anyone setting up a new drinking water supply or scheme must register the supply in our Hinekōrako online portal before they start operating.
Applying to register is the first step.
Apply to register a water supply
The owner of a new supply is also legally responsible for making sure the supply complies with the Water Services Act 2021. Depending on the specifics of the supply, it will either follow an Acceptable Solution or have a drinking water safety plan and follow the Rules.
Register as a water carrier
If you transport drinking water in a tanker, you’re required to register the carrier service as a drinking water supply before you start operating.
Apply to register a water carrier service
The supply used to fill your tankers must also be registered. This means if you use your own water source water source to fill your tankers, this will also need to be registered as a separate drinking water supply.
Apply to register a water carrier supply
Find more information on our page for water carriers
Water carrier
View guidance for water carriers
Temporary drinking water supplies
If you’re planning an event that requires a temporary drinking water supply, like a festival or sports tournament, you can either:
-
use another registered drinking water supplier
-
provide bottled water
-
apply to register your own temporary drinking water supply for your event
View guidance for temporary supplies