Water Services Act 2021 set to transform water safety in Aotearoa
Parliament has passed the Water Services Bill, which received royal assent on 4 October 2021. The aim of the Water Services Act 2021 (WSA) is to implement the Government’s comprehensive reforms to the regulatory system for drinking water and to improve the regulation and performance of wastewater and stormwater networks. It repeals and replaces Part 2A of the Health Act 1956 and commences 4 October 2023, or earlier by Order in Council.
The main purpose of the WSA is to ensure that drinking water suppliers provide safe drinking water to consumers by way of a drinking water regulatory framework that is consistent with internationally accepted best practice. The WSA’s additional purposes are to: