Private drinking water suppliers
Any business or facility that supply people with drinking water from independent water supplies are required to comply with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. This includes water from rivers, creeks, bores, dams and water from rainwater tanks.
Operators of businesses or facilities that provide drinking water have a responsibility to ensure the water is safe to use. The risks of illness from a private water supply can be greatly reduced by obtaining water from a good quality source and regularly maintaining and monitoring the water supply system.
The Private Water Supply Guidelines produced by NSW Health aim to assist operators of facilities that rely on private water supplies to comply with the requirements of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2011.
Requirements for suppliers of drinking water
The Public Health Act 2010 and the Public Health Regulation 2012 now requires drinking water suppliers such as water utilities, private water suppliers, and water carters to develop and adhere to a Quality Assurance Program (QAP) and provide a copy of the program to their local Public Health Unit.