A drinking-water Water Safety Plan is essential to the good management of a drinking-water supply. The Health Act 1956 requires certain drinking-water suppliers to have and implement a “Water Safety Plan” (WSP). Whilst the Act describes the statutory requirements for a drinking-water water safety plan and incorporates the principles of public health risk management in those requirements, new guidance around planning drinking-water safety and managing health risks will align drinking-water water safety plans more closely with international best practice.
In December 2018, the Ministry of Health
released the “Drinking-Water Safety Plan Framework (WSP Framework)” which
outlines what the Ministry of Health expects drinking-water suppliers to
include in their water safety plans.
In support of the ‘Water Safety Plan Framework’
the Ministry of Health has released the next guidance tool to aid in the
development of water safety plan’s the “Handbook for Preparing a Water
Safety Plan”. For each of the core water safety plan components listed
within the framework, the ‘Handbook’ sets out what the WSP should contain and
what the water supplier needs to do to prepare the content of that frameworks
development.
The development of the ‘Handbook’ has been
completed and has been published on the Ministry’s website at: https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/handbook-preparing-water-safety-plan
The Government Inquiry into Havelock North
Drinking Water. 2017. Report of the Havelock North Drinking Water Inquiry:
Stage 2 (Stage 2 Report)made a number of recommendations in
relation to drinking-water safety planning.The Ministry of Health
commissioned drinking-water experts in the Institute of Environmental Science
and Research Ltd, supported by Dr Heather Uwins-England (former Director, Water
Supply Regulation, Office of the Water Supply Regulator Queensland), and Matt
Parkinson (Director, Wai Comply) to review and revise the Ministry’s WSP
Framework and supporting guides and templates.
If you have any question please feel free to contact"
Karen Beirne
Team Leader, Drinking Water, Environmental and Border Health, Public Health, Population Health and Prevention
Ministry of Health
DDI: 04 816 4487
Fax: 04 495 4401
http://www.health.govt.nz
Karen_Beirne@moh.govt.nz