Legislation
Safe Drinking Water Act 2011
Safe drinking water is a fundamental requirement for maintaining public health and supporting healthy communities. It is essential that there are mechanisms in place to ensure a consistent approach to the delivery of safe drinking water that will be both practical and protective of public health.
The Safe Drinking Water Act 2011 has been passed by State Parliament and will replace the regulation of drinking water in South Australia under the Food Act 2001 and Food Regulations 2002. This legislation requires that drinking water is fit for purpose however it does not provide guidance on how this requirement can be achieved and how it can be measured. The Safe Drinking Water Act provides this guidance.
Provisions in the Act were the subject of a Discussion Paper released for public consultation between June and August 2009. Consultation incorporated information sessions in metropolitan and regional South Australia, direct contact and meetings with stakeholders. The proposal received strong support from a broad range of stakeholders including SA Water, regional providers, small business operators, water carters, local councils and government agencies.
A copy of the Discussion Paper and a consolidated table of comments received throughout the consultation period (including issues raised at the information sessions) are available below:
Comments received were considered in developing the draft Safe Drinking Water Bill with the principal changes being amendments to reduce impacts on small business and local government resources.
An Explanatory Paper was released in conjunction with the draft Bill to provide a plain English overview of the framework and key parts and sections. A further consultation period was held between July and September 2010 folllowing the release of the draft Bill. Information sessions were attended by a range of drinking water providers and comments submitted during consultation have been considered in the drafting process.
Copies of the Safe Drinking Water Bill and Explanatory Paper are available below:
The Act refers to matters prescribed by regulations in a number of areas including registration, rainwater supply exemptions, functions of inspectors and auditors and testing requirements. Consultation will occur with key stakeholders on the development of the regulations and a range of resources will be provided to clarify the intent and application of the new Safe Drinking Water legislation.
For more information please email waterquality@health.sa.gov.au or call 8226 7100
