There are many locations around Aotearoa New Zealand where people can collect water from a tap or pipe and take it away in their own containers. Some of these are run by territorial authorities. Others are operated by private landowners. There are variations in the number of people who typically use them, and the nature of any treatment applied.
These arrangements are generally considered drinking water supplies under the Water Services Act 2021 (Act). This is recognised in the Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules (DWQAR) which calls them community drinking water stations.
A small number of these supplies are currently registered with Taumata Arowai. The rest will need to be registered by 15 November 2025 and have up to 2028 to fully comply with the Act’s requirements.
All people who own and operate community drinking water stations, whether they are registered or not, have a duty of care to provide safe drinking water to the people they supply. This duty applies now and means suppliers need to think carefully about the risks associated with their supplies and what they need to do to address them.
Can community drinking water stations operate without chlorination?
It is possible for community drinking water stations to operate without chlorination. For example, a supplier could choose to comply with the requirements of the DWQAR which include cartridge filtration, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection, and regular water quality monitoring. It is up to the supplier to weigh up the different options available.
Examples of councils providing unchlorinated drinking water at community drinking water stations that comply with the requirements of the Act and the DWQAR include:
- Wellington Water provides unchlorinated water stations in Petone from a dedicated bore with cartridge filtration, UV disinfection treatment, and appropriate monitoring.
- Hastings District Council has installed public chlorine-removed water fill stations at five locations: Hastings Library, Romanes Park in Havelock North, Flaxmere Library, Whakatu, and Haumoana. These provide water from the council network that has been chlorinated and then filtered at the tap to remove the chlorine.
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Email: media@taumataarowai.govt.nz