If tests you carry out show that drinking water doesn't comply with the Drinking Water Standards or Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules, you must notify Taumata Arowai and the drinking water supplier as soon as practicable.
You need to notify us irrespective of whether the drinking water sample has been provided to satisfy monitoring requirements in a supplier’s drinking water safety plan, as a result of compliance rules, or for some other purpose.
This notification requirement applies to:
- Tests of drinking water. It does not apply to tests of source water or raw water.
- Tests of samples from registered or unregistered drinking water supplies.
To notify us through Hinekōrako click here.
You do not have to notify Taumata Arowai if the drinking water has come from a supply that provides water to only one household (i.e. that is a domestic self-supply).
Drinking water suppliers have their own parallel duty to notify Taumata Arowai that drinking water does not comply with drinking water standards. This does not detract from the requirement for accredited laboratories to notify Taumata Arowai and the drinking water supplier as soon as practicable after a non-compliant test result becomes known. Laboratories must notify Taumata Arowai, even if they are aware that the relevant drinking water supplier has, or intends, to do so.
Notification to Taumata Arowai should be via Hinekōrako - our online self-service portal. If you are unable to use Hinekōrako for any reason, please email notifications@taumataarowai.govt.nz
If you consider there is an immediate risk to public health, you should alert Taumata Arowai by calling 04 889 8350.
If Taumata Arowai receives a complaint about the capability and capacity of a laboratory, this will be raised with IANZ to investigate.