Drinking Water Quality

Introduction

This policy statement sets out the Ministry of Education's requirements for schools in light of the latest drinking-water standards and proposed changes to the Health Act. This policy statement replaces Circular 2000/01 and any previous policy statement.

Drinking poor quality water can cause illness from poisoning or infection. Those at greatest risk are children, the elderly and the ailing. It is often difficult to determine how many people become ill after drinking contaminated water unless there is a large outbreak of disease. In most cases, people become ill without realising that it was the water that made them sick. The two most significant waterborne diseases are gastroenteritis (caused by germs) and lead poisoning.

To control waterborne disease in New Zealand the Ministry of Health introduced drinking-water standards in 1995 and updated them in 2000.

The Ministry of Health has now implemented further changes to the drinking-water standards and later this year will be introducing the Health (Drinking Water) Amendment Bill to Parliament to further promote the supply of safe drinking water.

The Drinking-Water Standards for New Zealand 2005 (DWSNZ 05)

The new drinking-water standards, the Drinking-Water Standards for New Zealand 2005 (DWSNZ 05), replace all previous standards and include new sections on small water supplies and amendments to compliance criteria for protozoa (e.g. Cryptosporidium and Giardia) and bacteria (e.g. E. coli).

The Drinking-Water Standards for New Zealand 2005 came into effect as of 31 December 2005.

All Schools Are Affected by DWSNZ 05

All school boards of trustees are responsible for ensuring there is sufficient fresh water at the school for drinking, washing and all other school purposes. This is a term of the Ministry of Education's Health and Safety Code of Practice - see clause 33 (Health and Safety Code of Practice for State and State Integrated Schools - Ministry of Education). Therefore, all schools should ensure that procedures are in place to meet the requirements of this policy statement and ensure that they have taken all steps necessary to make their school water supply safe.

Self-Supplying Schools (schools with their own drinking-water supply)

Self-supplying schools are required by the Ministry of Education to comply with Section 10 of DWSNZ 05 as Participating Supplies. This means that self-supplying schools must use a Public Health Risk Management Plan (PHRMP)-based compliance system that a Drinking Water Assessor (DWA) has assessed to be satisfactory (a Drinking Water Assessor is a Health Protection Officer (HPO) who has been specially trained to deal with drinking-water issues). Section 10 - Small Water Supply Compliance Criteria fully describes how self-supplying schools can comply with the standard as Participating Supplies and therefore minimise the chance that members of the school community will contract a waterborne disease from the school supply.

Key changes from the 2000 standards for self-supplying schools are:

• a new section (Section 10) for small water supplies dealing specifically with water supplies serving populations under 500 people;
• the need for small water suppliers to complete a Public Health Risk Management Plan (PHRMP);
• the need for small water suppliers to conduct an annual sanitary inspection; and
• the need for three-monthly monitoring of water quality for E. coli (a reduction from the current monthly requirement).

The DWSNZ 05 and other Ministry of Health drinking-water publications that may be of use are on the Ministry of Health website at Drinking water in New Zealand Publications. Chapter 19 of the Draft Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality Management for New Zealand October 2005 has some useful information on small water supplies and is at The Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality Management for New Zealand.

Registration of Self-Supplied Water Supplies

As a self-supplier you are required to ensure that your school is on the Ministry of Health Register of Community Drinking-Water Supplies in New Zealand. To check if your school is currently on the register contact your local HPO or DWA. Contact details can be found at Drinking-water in New Zealand. If your school is not on the Register of Community Drinking-Water Supplies in New Zealand ask the HPO or DWA to register your school. Each registered drinking-water supply has a unique zone code that should be noted on all sample bottles and accompanying documentation.

Drinking Water Quality and the Ministry of Health's Annual Review

The Ministry of Health undertakes an annual microbiological review of the quality of drinking water in New Zealand. Registration as a self-supplier with the Ministry of Health ensures that your school will be included in the review. Each year the review has identified a number of schools that have not met the drinking-water standards for a variety of reasons. Schools can view the latest drinking-water review at Annual Review of Drinking-Water Quality In New Zealand 2004.

Ministry of Health Technical Assistance Programme (TAP)

In response to the implementation of DWSNZ 05 and concerns with the level of training and knowledge among water suppliers the Ministry of Health has produced a number of resources for water suppliers. These include PHRMP templates, training CDs and the Technical Assistance Programme (TAP).

TAP is designed to facilitate collaborative networks among local water suppliers and to provide those suppliers with training materials and information on the preparation of PHRMPs, optimisation of existing treatment systems and identification of any system improvements required to meet the standards. The TAP has been available since July 2005 and schools interested in joining the TAP should contact their local HPO or DWA.

Schools should not have to employ consultants to ensure compliance with DWSNZ 05. With training, the person currently responsible for the day-to-day running of the water treatment plant should be able to manage compliance with DWSNZ 05, including producing a PHRMP, the annual sanitary inspection and water testing.

It is strongly recommended that schools contact their local DWA for advice and assistance prior to employing consultants or spending funds on compliance. Schools are also advised to contact their DWA for advice prior to spending funds on maintaining or upgrading drinking-water plant.

Draft Health (Drinking-Water) Amendment Bill

The Ministry of Health is proposing a bill to amend the Health Act so as "to protect the health and safety of people and communities by promoting the provision of adequate supplies of safe and wholesome drinking water from drinking-water supplies".

The bill proposes that:

• all drinking-water suppliers introduce and implement Public Health Risk Management Plans; and
• drinking-water suppliers take all practicable steps to comply with the drinking-water standards.

The implications for schools connected to network supplies (town supplies) may include the cost of installation, maintenance and repair of back-flow preventers, if required by the network supplier.

The implications for self-supplying schools are generally covered by the recent changes to DWSNZ 05, as described above.

Information about the proposed Health (Drinking-Water) Amendment Bill can be found on the Ministry of Health website at Proposed Health (Drinking Water) Amendment Bill.

What to do about Lead Contamination of Water (this section applies to all schools)

Lead can appear in drinking-water by corrosion of brass in taps after water has stood in the plumbing over night. All taps used for drinking should be flushed briefly before the start of school, and around lunchtime.

Self-supplying schools should be aware that lead may also leach from roofing materials. If you are a self-supplying school using a roof-water supply, you should ask your local HPO if your water supply has been sampled for lead. If not, you should request that a sample be taken for testing.

If you have a roof-water supply, your PHRMP should identify lead leaching from roofing material as a potential risk and how you intend to manager that risk.

10-Year Property Plan

When you are putting together your 10-year property plan, include water management in your planning. Make provision for repairs, maintenance or upgrading of your water supply treatment plant as identified in your sanitary inspection and PHRMP.

Building Warrant of Fitness Checks

All schools are checked each year by an Independent Qualified Person (IQP) for their Building Warrant of Fitness (BWOF). Although water supplies are not a BWOF feature, the Ministry has already incorporated into the inspection process a requirement to check that schools with their own water supply have a testing regime in place and are adhering to it. In future this may include a check that the school has a PHRMP in place and is following their plan.

Funding issues

You will have to include funding for water sampling and maintenance of your water treatment plant in your annual budgeting round. You are funded for these expenses in your annual operational funding.

Who to contact for further information

Further information about funding issues can be obtained from your Ministry of Education local offices.