Drinking-water in New Zealand

Drinking-water Assistance Programme
Technical Assistance Programme

The Technical Assistance Programme will provide technical assistance to small water suppliers. Any supplier serving fewer than 5000 people can participate, and there is no charge. However the principal target population size is for those supplies serving communities between 100 – 1000 people.

The Programme will:

• help small drinking-water suppliers to make the most effective use of the equipment they already have
• provide information on how best to operate their supply and on options for upgrading or improving supplies
• include participating supplies on the Register of Community Drinking-water Supplies
• assist in setting up groups of drinking-water suppliers to share knowledge and experiences
• help to develop and implement PHRMPs (public health risk management plans)
• assist to identify what capital development might be required for the supply.

TAP (Technical Assistance Programme) Facilitators

The Ministry of Health has appointed TAP facilitators to assist in the delivery of this programme. These facilitators are located within the Public Health Units of the District Health Boards. They are the first point of contact for any drinking-water supplier wanting to know more about the programme.

The TAP facilitators will assist water suppliers to set up the collaborative capacity building groups (CCBGs). They will provide training on how to write PHRMPs, and provide DVDs and other training resources on aspects of small drinking-water supplies. They will also arrange for independent technical advice to assist these groups make informed decisions about their supplies.

Find the TAP facilitator for your region.