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Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

Miscellaneous provisions - Offences - Offences relating to water supply network

311: Connecting to or disconnecting from water supply network or supplying water to another person without authorisation

You could also call this:

"Don't touch the water supply without permission or you might get a big fine."

Illustration for Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

If you connect to or disconnect from a water supply network without permission from the water service provider, you are doing something wrong. You also do something wrong if you take water from the network without authorisation. If you have been given water by a water service provider, you must not share it with another property without the provider's permission.

If you do one of these things, you can get in trouble with the law. You might have to pay a fine if you are found guilty. The fine can be up to $50,000 for an individual.

For a company or group, the fine can be up to $500,000. You can compare this to a previous law to see how it has changed.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1443897.

Topics:
Environment and resources > Food and water safetyGovernment and voting > Local councils
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310: Discharging into water supply network without authorisation, or

"Don't put things into the water supply without permission or you might get fined."

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312: Disposing of materials or substances into wastewater network causing specified serious risk, or

"Don't put harmful things into the wastewater network, or you could face big fines or prison time."

Part 5Miscellaneous provisions
Offences: Offences relating to water supply network

311Connecting to or disconnecting from water supply network or supplying water to another person without authorisation

  1. A person commits an offence if they—

  2. knowingly connect to or disconnect from, or take water from, a water supply network without authorisation from a water service provider; or
    1. having been supplied with water by a water service provider from a water supply network, knowingly and without authorisation from the water service provider extend their network connection to another property that should be party to a service agreement with the water service provider.

      1. A person who commits an offence against this section is liable on conviction,—

      2. for an individual, to a fine not exceeding $50,000:
        1. for a body corporate or an unincorporated body, to a fine not exceeding $500,000.

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