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The protests of Rodney rain tank owners against having their water deliveries treated with chlorine have yet to be taken on board by the Government.
A petition to Parliament by Christine Walker, of Artesian and Solway, to allow water carriers to continue to supply chlorine-free water, closed in June with more than 1800 signatures.
But last week the Government passed the Water Services Bill, providing newly established water regulator Taumata Arowai with the legal authority to set drinking water standards.
The bill establishes that water carriers must be a registered water supplier and comply with drinking water standards.
Draft rules released on the regulator’s website last month outline what suppliers who draw water from a bore or spring will have to do to be compliant.
These would require carriers to filter their water, disinfect it using ultraviolet light and chlorinate it to a level of at least 0.5 milligrams per litre. The level of chlorine must also be tested 30 minutes after the water has been dosed.
Water carriers who fill up at public filling stations, such as those operated by Watercare, are unlikely to be affected by the regulation, as the responsibility of compliance will be on the operator of the facility.
Water tank owners will have one more chance to have their say on the regulation.
The Water Services Bill requires Taumata Arowai to consult the public on its draft regulations before formally implementing them. It says it will consult in early next year.
