Consultation opens on proposed changes to Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules

The Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai is inviting feedback on proposed changes to the Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules.

The proposed changes aim to make compliance clearer and easier to follow for drinking water suppliers, while maintaining strong protections for public health. They are the next step in the Authority’s ongoing efforts to make it easier for suppliers to understand and meet their legal responsibilities.

The consultation covers two key proposals:

• A change to the annual reporting timeframe for all suppliers – shifting from calendar year to financial year reporting, starting from 1 July 2027.

• Updates to the Rules for large supplies (those serving 501 or more people) focused on making the Rules clearer and easier to follow.

Suppliers serving 500 or fewer people only need to provide feedback on the proposed change to the annual reporting timeframe. Suppliers serving 501 or more people are asked to provide feedback on both proposals.

The consultation is open for six weeks and closes at 5pm on Friday, 19 December 2025.