Drinking Water

Drinking Water at Events and Festivals

If an event (for more than 24 people) is offering the public drinking water that is not commercially bottled, and you are not a self-supply*, then it may require permission from the Medical Officer of Health to be used. The event organiser will need to check by contacting their local Drinking Water Team (DWT) based at Nelson Marlborough District Health Board's Public Health Service (NMDHB PHS).

The Health (Drinking Water) Amendment Act (section 69ZI) requires that the temporary water supplier (in this instance the event organiser) must advise the Medical Officer of Health, in writing, by completing and submitting notification form WS03 (downloaded from their website or call/email the DWT). This form should be returned, completed, to the DWT at least ten working days prior to the event to allow for processing and additional time to meet any conditions that may apply.

Contact the Public Health Service:
Phone (Blenheim office): 03 520 9914
E-mail: drinkingwater@nmdhb.govt.nz

See the Drinking Water page on the Nelson-Marlborough Health website

Use the Temporary Water Suppliers' Application Process Flow Chart on the Nelson-Marlborough Health website to help you work through the application process.

Go to Temporary Water Suppliers' Application Process Flow Chart

* self-supplier means a person who owns a drinking-water supply that is exclusively used to supply water to either 1 property that is also owned by that person; or 1 or more buildings that are also owned by that person. This could be a licensed food premises, a licensed alcohol premises or an existing hotel/club/any other building.