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Water Services Act 2021

Preliminary provisions - Interpretation - Key terms

9: Meaning of drinking water supply

You could also call this:

"What a drinking water supply is and how it gets to you"

Illustration for Water Services Act 2021

When you hear the term drinking water supply, it means the systems and processes used to get drinking water to you. This includes storing, treating, and transporting water to consumers. It also includes the point where the water is supplied to you. The Water Services Authority can decide if a person or group is providing a drinking water supply. They can do this if they think the water is being used for drinking. You can read more about the Water Services Authority's role in the Legislation Act 2019. The Authority must consider the main purpose of the Water Services Act when making decisions. They may also think about the infrastructure and risks to consumers. Some types of water supplies are not included, like temporary supplies or water from your own home. You can find more information about these exceptions in section 33 or section 34.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS374665.

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8: Meaning of drinking water supplier, or

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Part 1Preliminary provisions
Interpretation: Key terms

9Meaning of drinking water supply

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

  2. means the infrastructure and processes used to abstract, store, treat, transmit, or transport drinking water for supply to consumers or another drinking water supplier; and
    1. includes—
      1. the point of supply; and
        1. any end-point treatment device; and
          1. any backflow prevention device; but
          2. does not include a temporary drinking water supply provided for under section 33 or 34, a domestic self-supply, or a shared domestic supply.

            1. The Water Services Authority may, by notice in the Gazette, declare the provision of water by a person or a class of persons—

            2. to be a drinking water supply if the Water Services Authority is satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that the water is or will be used as drinking water; or
              1. not to be a drinking water supply if the Water Services Authority is satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that—
                1. the water is not or will not be used as drinking water; or
                  1. the person is a consumer, or the class of persons is a class of consumers; or
                    1. the water is source water.

                    2. When deciding whether to make a declaration under subsection (2), the Water Services Authority—

                    3. must take into account the main purpose of this Act (see section 3(1)); and
                      1. may take into account the extent of the infrastructure providing the water and the level of risk to consumers that would follow from making the declaration.

                        1. A declaration made under this section that applies to a class of persons is secondary legislation (see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements).

                        Notes
                        • Section 9(1)(c): amended, on , by section 123(1) of the Local Government (Water Services) (Repeals and Amendments) Act 2025 (2025 No 43).
                        • Section 9(2): replaced, on , by section 123(2) of the Local Government (Water Services) (Repeals and Amendments) Act 2025 (2025 No 43).
                        • Section 9(3): inserted, on , by section 123(2) of the Local Government (Water Services) (Repeals and Amendments) Act 2025 (2025 No 43).
                        • Section 9(4): inserted, on , by section 123(2) of the Local Government (Water Services) (Repeals and Amendments) Act 2025 (2025 No 43).