Community Drinking-Water Supply Registration

The Register of Community Drinking-Water Supplies in New Zealand provides health professionals, drinking-water professionals and the general public with an authoritative summary of the health-risk status of all community drinking-water supplies known to the Ministry of Health. "Community drinking-water supplies" means all drinking-water supplies serving more than 25 people for more than 60 days a year.

This Register is maintained by ESR on behalf of the Ministry of Health in the WINZ drinking-water database. This website contains a queryable copy of the Register data, so the grading of any supply can be shown here, as well as its supply structure.

Registration is undertaken by Drinking Water Assessors at District Health Boards, who work closely with water suppliers to ensure data is accurate and up-to-date.

Registration Details

For each supply, the Register records:

the name of the community
the components of the supply, namely sources, treatment plants and distribution zones
unique codes for each component (to aid clear identification)
who owns and operates the supply
how many people use the supply.

If more than 500 people are served, the Register also records:

the public health grading for the supply
any substances of public health significance in the supply requiring monitoring.

The public health grading is an evaluation of both the actual water quality and the underlying measures taken to minimise risk. Those measures ensure that the water remains safe and wholesome now and in the future.

Most supplies listed are publicly owned, but some are private. For example, country motor camps or motels serving 25 people or more are expected to be registered. Registration of smaller supplies is voluntary.