Private Drinking Water Supplies

The Water Services Act 2021 seeks to ensure that drinking water suppliers provide safe drinking water to consumers through a new drinking water regulatory and risk management framework.

The Act requires more of councils and private drinking water suppliers.

• At least once every three years, councils will be required to undertake drinking water supply assessments for their communities to determine water supply demand, safety, quality and any potential risks. 
• Council assessments must include communities who receive drinking water services from councils and also other drinking water suppliers /arrangements (including households within those communities).
• By 2028, all unregistered drinking water suppliers, including rural, marae and papakainga, will need to meet drinking water standards and rules, or be using an acceptable solution (defined in the Act).

There are also new obligations that already registered drinking water suppliers need to meet.

Private water supply pilot project objectives

The four Hawke’s Bay councils (Napier City Council, Hastings District Council, Wairoa District Council and Central Hawke’s Bay District Council) want to partner with private drinking water suppliers to establish the best approach to help us all meet our new obligations under the Water Services Act.

This project provides a test platform for both council and private suppliers to develop a methodology and framework so we can meet our respective obligations going forward.

We want to identify the extent of private suppliers across Hawke’s Bay and work with a representative sample to:

• better understand our communities’ private drinking water suppliers, their expectations and needs.
• understand how the new regulations might be best implemented.
• develop together and trial a framework for water supply assessments.
• support our communities through a contestable fund to assist participants in this pilot project with costs associated with new regulations.

To achieve the above, the Hawke's Bay councils are working together on a project to engage with, understand and support private drinking water suppliers. Click her to view a summary of our project.

An important project for private drinking water suppliers

The project will help suppliers by:

• increasing their understanding of what the Water Services Act 2021 changes mean for them and the community they provide drinking water to.
• a technical assessment on their drinking water supply and recommendations to help them plan for meeting their obligations.
• providing an opportunity to give feedback on the implications of the proposed regulations and acceptable solutions directly to Taumata Arowai (the regulator).

Funding to support private drinking water suppliers

Central Hawke's Bay District Council created a publicly contestable fund to provide financial support to community-focused drinking water supplies that will need to meet the new standards under the Drinking Water Standards Regulations. The fund was administered by Council and successful applicants were advised in June.