5Interpretation

1. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

   abstraction point means the location at which source water is abstracted for use in a drinking water supply (for example, the location at which water is abstracted from a river, stream, lake, or aquifer)

   acceptable solution or verification method means a drinking water acceptable solution or verification method issued under section 50

   agent includes a contractor

   approved form means a form provided by the Water Services Authority

   associate coroner means a person who holds office as an associate coroner under the Coroners Act 2006

   backflow means the unplanned reversal of flow of water or mixtures of water and contaminants into the water supply system

   backflow prevention device means a device that prevents backflow

   chief executive means the chief executive of the Water Services Authority

   compliance, monitoring, and enforcement strategy means the compliance, monitoring, and enforcement strategy developed under section 136

   compliance officer means a compliance officer appointed under section 98

   compliance rules means compliance rules made under section 49

   consumer means a person who consumes or uses drinking water supplied by a drinking water supplier

   coroner includes an associate coroner to the extent that they have the jurisdiction of a coroner under the Coroners Act 2006

   Crown organisation has the same meaning as in section 4 of the Crown Organisations (Criminal Liability) Act 2002

   department means a department listed in Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Public Service Act 2020

   domestic dwelling has the meaning set out in section 10

   domestic self-supply has the meaning set out in section 10

   drinking water has the meaning set out in section 6

   drinking water safety plan means the drinking water safety plan required by section 30

   drinking water standards means the standards made under section 47

   drinking water supplier has the meaning set out in section 8

   drinking water supply has the meaning set out in section 9

   end-point treatment means treatment of drinking water at the final point of the supply at which the consumer can consume, use, or collect drinking water

   end-point treatment device means a device used for end-point treatment as part of an acceptable solution or verification method

   green water services infrastructure—

   1. means a natural or semi-natural area, feature, or process that mimics natural areas, features, or processes that are planned or managed to provide water services; and
   2. includes an engineered system that is an area, feature, or process that complies with paragraph (a)

   illness means any acute or chronic illness

   legislative requirement—

   1. means a requirement imposed by—
      1. this Act; or
      2. secondary legislation made under this Act; or
      3. a direction issued by a compliance officer under section 104; or
      4. a compliance order issued under section 120; but
   2. does not include a requirement in—
      1. a wastewater environmental performance standard made under section 138; or
      2. an environmental performance measure or target for networks made under section 145

   local authority has the same meaning as in section 5(1) of the Local Government Act 2002

   marae includes the area of land on which all buildings such as wharenui, wharekai, wharepaku, papakāinga, and any other associated buildings are situated

   medical officer of health means a medical officer of health appointed under the Health Act 1956

   Minister means the Minister of the Crown who, under the authority of any warrant or with the authority of the Prime Minister, is responsible for the administration of this Act

   mixed-use rural water scheme has the meaning set out in section 13A

   National Engineering Design Standards and NEDS means the National Engineering Design Standards set out in regulations

   National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management means the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management issued in 2020 under section 52 of the Resource Management Act 1991 and any statement issued under that section that amends or replaces the 2020 statement

   New Zealand Defence Force has the same meaning as the term Defence Force in section 2(1) of the Defence Act 1990

   officer, in relation to a drinking water supply,—

   1. if the owner or operator is a company,—
      1. means any person occupying the position of a director of the company by whatever name called; and
      2. includes any other person occupying a position in relation to the company that allows the person to exercise significant influence over the management of the drinking water supply (for example, a chief executive):
   2. if the owner or operator is a partnership (other than a limited partnership), means any partner:
   3. if the owner or operator is a limited partnership, means any general partner:
   4. if the owner or operator is a body corporate or an unincorporated body, other than a company, partnership, or limited partnership,—
      1. means any person occupying a position in the body that is comparable with that of a director of a company; and
      2. includes any other person occupying a position in relation to the body that allows the person to exercise significant influence over the management of the drinking water supply (for example, a chief executive):
   5. does not include a person who merely advises or makes recommendations to a person referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (d), or who completes discrete operational tasks concerning the supply:
   6. does not include a Minister of the Crown acting in that capacity

   operator has the meaning set out in section 11

   overland flow path means any flow path taken by stormwater on the surface of land

   owner has the meaning set out in section 12

   point of supply has the meaning set out in section 13

   raw water means water that has been abstracted from a source, but has not been subject to any treatment or other processes that may be required to make it safe to consume

   registered, in relation to a drinking water supply, means a drinking water supply registered in accordance with the requirements of subpart 7 of Part 2

   safe, in relation to drinking water, has the meaning set out in section 7

   shared domestic supplier has the meaning set out in section 10

   source, source water, and source of a drinking water supply mean—

   1. the water body from which water is abstracted for use in a drinking water supply (for example, a river, stream, lake, or aquifer); and
   2. an open-air artificial watercourse from which water is abstracted for use in a drinking water supply (for example, an open-air irrigation canal, water supply race, canal for the supply of water for electricity generation, or farm drainage channel); and
   3. rainwater

   source water risk management plan means a plan required by section 43

   stormwater network—

   1. means the infrastructure and processes that—
      1. are used to collect, treat, drain, store, reuse, or discharge stormwater in an urban area; and
      2. are owned or operated by, for, or on behalf of one of the following:
         1. a local authority, water organisation, or subsidiary of a water organisation:
         2. a department:
         3. the New Zealand Defence Force; and
   2. includes—
      1. an overland flow path:
      2. green water services infrastructure that delivers stormwater services:
      3. watercourses that are part of, or related to, the infrastructure described in paragraph (a)

   stormwater network operator means—

   1. each of the following entities (to the extent that a stormwater network is operated, or its operation or aspects of its operation are supervised, by, for, or on behalf of the entity):
      1. a local authority, water organisation, or subsidiary of a water organisation:
      2. a department:
      3. the New Zealand Defence Force; and
   2. any person who operates a stormwater network, or any aspect of a stormwater network, for, or on behalf of, an organisation specified in paragraph (a)

   sufficient quantity, in relation to the drinking water supplied to a point of supply, has the meaning set out in section 25(2)

   territorial authority has the same meaning as in section 5(1) of the Local Government Act 2002

   trade waste means any waste that is—

   1. produced for an industrial or a trade purpose, or a related purpose; and
   2. discharged into a wastewater network

   unplanned, in relation to the supply of drinking water, has the meaning set out in section 34(2)

   urban area—

   1. means an area identified in a district plan or proposed district plan as being primarily zoned for residential, industrial, or commercial activities, together with adjoining special-purpose and open-space zones, however described; but
   2. does not include an area zoned primarily for rural or rural-residential activities, however described

   wastewater network means the infrastructure and processes that—

   1. are used to collect, store, transmit through reticulation, treat, or discharge wastewater; and
   2. are operated by, for, or on behalf of one of the following:
      1. a local authority, water organisation, or subsidiary of a water organisation:
      2. a department:
      3. the New Zealand Defence Force

   wastewater network operator means—

   1. each of the following entities (to the extent that a wastewater network is operated, or its operation or aspects of its operation are supervised, by, for, or on behalf of the entity):
      1. a local authority, water organisation, or subsidiary of a water organisation:
      2. a department:
      3. the New Zealand Defence Force; and
   2. any person who operates a wastewater network, or any aspect of a wastewater network, for, or on behalf of, an organisation specified in paragraph (a); and
   3. an organisation or individual involved in the operation of a wastewater network if the organisation or individual is authorised or included on a register in accordance with regulations made under section 200

   water—

   1. has the same meaning as in section 2(1) of the Resource Management Act 1991; but
   2. includes water in any form while in any pipe, tank, or cistern

   water carrier means a drinking water supplier that transports drinking water (other than by reticulation) for the purpose of supplying it to consumers or another drinking water supplier.

   water organisation has the same meaning as in section 4 of the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

   water service provider has the same meaning as in section 4 of the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

   water services means services relating to water supply, wastewater, and stormwater

   Water Services Authority means the Water Services Authority—Taumata Arowai established by section 8 of the Water Services Authority—Taumata Arowai Act 2020

   water services bylaw has the same meaning as in section 4 of the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

   watercourse means a watercourse that is part of, or related to, the drainage or discharge of stormwater in an urban area