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Water Services Act 2021

Preliminary provisions - Interpretation - Key terms

6: Meaning of drinking water

You could also call this:

"What 'drinking water' means in the Water Services Act 2021"

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When you hear the term 'drinking water' in the Water Services Act 2021, it means water used for human consumption, oral hygiene, or preparing food and drink for humans. You use drinking water to wash utensils for eating and drinking, or for preparing and storing food and drink. Drinking water does not include bottled water made by a food business and regulated under the Food Act 2014, or water regulated under the Food Act 2014, the Animal Products Act 1999, or the Wine Act 2003.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS374659.

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Health and wellbeing > Public healthHealth and wellbeing > Food and water safetyEnvironment and resources > Conservation
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Part 1Preliminary provisions
Interpretation: Key terms

6Meaning of drinking water

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

  2. means water that is used for—
    1. human consumption; or
      1. oral hygiene; or
        1. preparing food, drink, or other products for human consumption; or
          1. washing utensils that are used for eating and drinking, or for preparing, serving, or storing food or drink for human consumption; but
          2. does not include—
            1. bottled water that is prepared or manufactured by a food business, and is regulated, under the Food Act 2014; and
              1. water, if its use is regulated under the Food Act 2014, the Animal Products Act 1999, or the Wine Act 2003.

                2. Examples

                Water that is used for washing potatoes by a horticultural business, where the use is regulated under the Food Act 2014, is not drinking water.

                Water that is used for the cleaning of processing machines by a poultry processor or by a business that operates under a registered risk management programme under the Animal Products Act 1999 is not drinking water if the use of the water is regulated under that Act.