Source: Radio New Zealand
Existing lead-based products are exempt, but users are advised to run taps to draw fresh water. HENDRIK SCHMIDT
From Saturday, NZ homes will be required to fit lead-free plumbing products that protect the quality of drinking water.
The legislation – an update to the New Zealand Building code – was announced in November 2022 by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and comes into effect from 2 May, a transition period that allowed the industry to adopt new products.
The change does not affect existing plumbing, but any repairs or new installations must comply with the new rules, which apply to any product that comes into contact with drinking water, including kitchen taps, bathroom basin taps, laundry taps and water heaters.
“The quality of the buildings where we live, work and play can have a significant impact on our wellbeing, and there is growing evidence that even trace amounts of lead exposure can be harmful over time,” Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk said.
“International health advice shows that removing lead from plumbing products entirely is the most effective way to reduce the risk of exposure.
“From tomorrow, all pipes, fittings, valves and tapware that come into contact with drinking water must be lead-free for new buildings or renovations. Tapware must also be resistant to dezincification to help maintain water quality over time.”
Penk said the ministry had received positive feedback from the industry that suggested it was well placed to transition and additional cost of using lead-free products was negligible.
“This update sets a clear, modern standard and gives New Zealanders confidence in the safety of their drinking water,” he said.
“It is a sensible, preventative step that will benefit the wellbeing of Kiwis over the long term.”
Water New Zealand chief executive Gillian Blythe told RNZ’s Checkpoint that her organisation welcomed these new standards, but advised all households to flush their taps for a few seconds each morning to ensure fresh water was available..
“The medical advise is that children are particularly vulnerable,” Blythe warned. ‘If there’s lead in the water, it can impair brain development, reduce IQ, and cause behavioural and learning difficulties.
“It’s advice we particularly give to early childhood centres and schools, We want them to flush their taps and drinking fountains each morning and after weekends, and particularly school holidays.
“If you think about it, over the summer, if you’ve had a fountain not used for most of December and all of January, you really do need to ensure those fountains have been flushed.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
