Just eight months after becoming operational as the water services regulator for Aotearoa New Zealand, Taumata Arowai has published a raft of documents that set the strategic direction for the new Crown entity and important regulatory requirements that tell suppliers what they need to do to provide safe drinking water.

Bill Bayfield, Chief Executive of Taumata Arowai said that these documents provide people with clarity about the shape and direction of the new regulator.

“The past eight months have been busy. We’ve been focused on establishing a new Crown entity and developing regulatory instruments that will lead to positive changes in the performance of water services in Aotearoa.”

The new Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules, Drinking Water Standards and Aesthetic Values all come into effect on 14 November 2022. All unregistered drinking water supplies (other than self-supplied domestic dwellings which are not covered by this regime) must be registered by 2025 and fully comply with the Water Services Act 2021 by 2028.

All drinking water suppliers have a duty of care to provide safe drinking water regardless of whether they are registered or not.

Drinking Water Network Environmental Performance Measures for network operators (networks operated by, or on behalf of councils or government departments) came into effect on 1 July 2022.

Taumata Arowai has also published key statutory documents which set out the organisation’s strategic direction and aspirations – it's first Statement of Intent, Statement of Performance Expectations and the Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement Strategy.

“This is a marathon, not a sprint. We are very aware that these documents will need to evolve as we get to know the sector. We are not planning on publishing new Rules and Standards and then resting on our laurels. Our plan is to see them in action in the real world and take any learnings into future iterations.”

“We have not created these in isolation. We engaged with reference groups, international experts and others within the water sector following a ten-week public consultation. We received valuable feedback that helped us to refine the proposed documents. We also sought input from the Ministry of Health as the lead agency on public health.”

Taumata Arowai took over from the Ministry of Health as the drinking water regulator on 15 November 2021. All drinking water suppliers registered with the Ministry of Health immediately before 15 November have had their recorded drinking water supplies transferred to the Taumata Arowai register. This migration happened automatically and has been followed by a rigorous process of data checking and verification to ensure that we have accurate information about water supplies.

“A key requirement of the Water Services Act 2021 is that everyone operating under it must give effect to Te Mana o te Wai, to the extent it applies to their functions and duties. This obligation applies equally to Taumata Arowai and to all suppliers under the Act.”

“All drinking water suppliers have a duty of care to ensure that the water they provide is safe to drink.”

“The publication of these documents sets our direction and clearly communicates our regulatory approach. It is another step forward in helping the sector to lift its performance,” says Mr. Bayfield.

© Scoop Media