Part 2Structural arrangements for providing water services
8Outline of this Part
This Part provides for matters concerning the structural arrangements for providing water services.
Subpart 1 provides for territorial authorities’ responsibility for providing water services in their districts and the different methods they can use to structure service provision arrangements, including—
- the key role of water organisations as being, along with territorial authorities, water service providers; and
- how territorial authorities can transfer responsibilities, infrastructure, and other matters to water organisations; and
- the objectives, financial principles, and obligations of water service providers; and
- how water service providers can contract for water services to be provided on their behalf or enter into joint arrangements with other water service providers; and
- the decision-making process that must be followed by a territorial authority that proposes to change the structure of water services provision.
Subpart 2 provides, for those regions in which the regional council also provides water services, the different methods they can use to structure service provision arrangements.
Subpart 3 provides for the establishment, ownership (including by the trustees of consumer trusts on behalf of consumers of water services), and governance of water organisations that, together with local authorities, are water service providers under this Act.
Subpart 4 sets out the role of water service providers in relation to—
- assessing water services; and
- ensuring water supply when a drinking water supplier is facing a significant problem or potential problem; and
- closing and transferring small water services.
Subpart 5 sets out an ongoing obligation for water service providers to submit water services delivery plans if they have not transferred responsibility for providing water supply services and wastewater services to a water organisation.