NZ water safety plans not meeting World Health Organisation standards

A water safety plan example created by water quality scientist Dan Deere will be sent to DWAs around the country. Photo / File

The Ministry of Health has been directed by the Havelock North water inquiry panel to take action to bring New Zealand's water safety plans within World Health Organisation guidelines.

Water safety plans (WSPs) came into being in New Zealand in 2000 and were designed to introduce more risk management to reduce drinking water risks, but currently this country's plans did not meet world best practice.

It would, however, take minor adjustments to bring them into line, an expert told the inquiry at the continuation of Stage 2 hearings held at Hastings District Court yesterday.

Water quality scientist Dan Deere said that to meet WHO guidelines, drinking water assessors (DWAs) would need to ask suppliers to demonstrate where they were controlling risk in field, how they were monitoring the risks and keep records to show when and where that was taking place.

At the moment WSPs only summarised risks and improvements and any plans to make improvements, but the operational day-to-day monitoring that was required was missing, he said.

"That's the most important part of a WSP - if you are going to continue with WSPs you have to insert that in."

He provided a one-page guide as to how that could be achieved and inquiry chairman Lyn Stevens QC questioned Ministry of Health representative Sally Gilbert as to why these suggestions had not been implemented already.

"Why don't you write to the 35 DWAs and say here is a template we expect you to require suppliers to comply with ... to follow world health best practice?" he asked.

Ms Gilbert said that a review of WSPs was under way, and that DWAs could be approached but any changes would need guidance and templates.

"Yes of course, but just get on and do it," Mr Stevens said.

He said that with Dr Deere's information the actions needed to meet the world health guidelines had been reduced to one page.

"We have cut through the rubbish - officials could write letters to the DWAs and bingo it's done - you won't need to do a review and have months of talk."

Mid-Central DHB DWA Peter Wood said he thought such a move would make a life a lot easier for DWAs who currently had to pore through risk tables trying to identify the important points, what suppliers were monitoring, and what the limits were.

"Some water safety plans contain this information, some do not."

Ministry of Health director of public health Caroline McElnay was also present yesterday and said she thought it was something the ministry could implement.

"WSPs are critical control measures to assure us of water safety - given the information is there and is already being done in many places - on the face of it looks like it would be easily implemented."

Mr Stevens said it would be appreciated as it was a simple plan that could be introduced without needing to change the law.

"The crown has accepted we are behind the eight-ball - it would be good to get on and solve it without waiting for our report [the final report due in December] and we would not have to make a recommendation," he said.

Dr McElnay agreed that it was about managing risk and it was important not to wait.