A database of registered drinking water sources was established in 2009 to assist with the implementation of the NES. It contains drinking water source abstraction points and drinking water treatment plants. The information is from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research who maintain the Water Information New Zealand database on behalf of the Ministry of Health.
The database also contains some information on individual treatment plant compliance with the Drinking Water Standards for New Zealand 2005. This assists councils to determine whether drinking water from an individual treatment plant meets the health quality criteria referred to in regulations 4 and 5 of the NES.
The database was sent to all regional councils for integration with existing regional council GIS systems. Additional information on the locations of registered drinking water sources is available from a drinking water assessor in the public health unit of your local district health board.
Public health unit contacts [Ministry of Health website]
Drinking water Standards for New Zealand 2005 (Revised 2008) [Ministry of Health website]
For the purpose of this NES, a human drinking water source is a natural water body such as a lake, river or groundwater that is used to supply a community with drinking water. The standard applies to source water before it is treated and only sources used to supply human drinking water ie, not stock or other animals.