Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand 2005

Date of publication: August 2005

ISBN 0-478-28392-X (Book)
ISBN 0-478-28395-4 (Internet)

HP 4124

The availability of safe drinking-water for all New Zealanders, irrespective of where they live, is a fundamental requirement for public health. The revised Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand 2005 (DWSNZ2005)are a significant achievement in New Zealand’s endeavours to maintain and improve drinking-water quality. The Standards come into effect on 31 December 2005.

We have moved the focus from ‘quality control’ to a broader approach of ‘quality assurance’. Underpinning this quality assurance approach will be a requirement for drinking-water suppliers to develop Public Health Risk Management Plans (PHRMPs). A PHRMP systematically assesses the requirements for providing safe drinking-water. It is a management tool for suppliers that will help them to identify, manage and minimise events that could cause water quality to deteriorate.

The Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand 2005 contains comprehensive information for owners and operators to assist in the management of public and private drinking-water suppliers and we strongly encourage you to become familiar with all aspects of them.

The Standards will be complemented by a companion document, the Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality Management for New Zealand, which provides information on how the Standards are determined and explanations and guidance to assist in the management of drinking-water supplies. These have undergone significant revision and are in the final stages of completion.

Drinking-water suppliers that wish to implement the new standards may do so earlier than 31 December 2005 provided they advise their local drinking-water assessor first.

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Document availability

This publication is available in hard copy at a cost of $25. To order a copy email moh@wickliffe.co.nz or call 04 496 2277 quoting HP number 4124. Please let us know your name, your physical address and how many copies you would like.

You can download this document in Word and PDF formats.

Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand 2005 (Word, 1.09 MB) Warning - large file size. Document updated September 2005

Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand 2005 (PDF, 1MB) Warning - large file size. Document updated September 2005

Errata, dated 25 October 2005, are listed in:
Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand 2005 - errata (PDF, 27 kB)

The corrections relating to these errata will not be incorporated in the text of the printed version of the Standards but will appear in the front of the document.

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Related information

Drinking-water in New Zealand

Drinking Water in New Zealand Publications

New Drinking-Water Standards released today (media release 25 August 2005)
New Drinking-Water Standards released today are part of ongoing work to ensure all New Zealanders have access to good quality drinking water.

The standards, released by the Ministry of Health, come into effect on 31 December 2005. They apply to public and private supplies, but not bottled water.

Page last updated 27 October 2005