21 June 2006
New Drinking Water Bill introduced into Parliament
A new Bill to ensure all New Zealanders on community water supplies have access to safer drinking-water was introduced
to Parliament today by Health Minister Pete Hodgson.
"Compared with other OECD countries, we have relatively high rates of preventable illness caused at least in part by
water-borne germs," Pete Hodgson said.
The Health (Drinking Water) Amendment Bill will help to maintain and improve the quality of water in community supplies.
"Currently it is only a voluntary requirement for water suppliers to comply with the Drinking-water Standards for New
Zealand 2005. Under this legislation they will need to take all practicable steps to provide an adequate supply of
drinking-water to that standard. Public Health Risk Management Plans will also become a general requirement.
"This won't come as a surprise to drinking-water suppliers. The Government has consulted widely over a long period of
time to make sure we get this right."
The water supplies to about 71 per cent of New Zealanders provide drinking-water which already complies with the
drinking-water standards, and these water suppliers will be largely unaffected as a result of the Bill. For smaller
water suppliers, this Labour-led Government is investing $154 million (including GST) over ten years to help upgrade and
improve small water supplies (serving less than 5,000 people).
The Health (Drinking Water) Amendment Bill is expected to get its first reading in Parliament in July.
For more information see the Ministry of health website:
http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/f872666357c511eb4c25666d000c8888/7b0ed97145c8f73dcc256e27006e1053?OpenDocument
ENDS