Water Safety Plan
Guide
Groundwater Abstraction – Springs
Version 1, Ref P1.4
January 2014
Citation: Ministry of Health. 2014. Water Safety Plan Guide:
Groundwater Abstraction – Springs, Version 1, ref p1.4. Wellington:
Ministry of Health.
Published in January 2014
by the Ministry of Health
PO Box 5013, Wellington, New Zealand
ISBN: 978-0-478-42710-3 (print)
ISBN: 978-0-478-42711-0 (online)
Previously published in 2001 as Public Health Risk Management
Plan Guide: Groundwater Abstraction – Springs, Version 1, ref p1.4.
This publication’s title and any reference within the text to ‘public
health risk management plan’ was changed in January 2014 to
reflect the December 2013 legislation change of the term ‘public
health risk management plan’ to ‘water safety plan’. No other
changes have been made to this document.
This document is available at: www.health.govt.nz
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
licence. In essence, you are free to: share ie, copy and redistribute the material in any medium or
format; adapt ie, remix, transform and build upon the material. You must give appropriate credit,
provide a link to the licence and indicate if changes were made.
Contents
Introduction
1
Risk Summary
3
Risk Information Table
4
Contingency Plans
8
Water Safety Plan Performance Assessment
Ref P1.4
Version 1, January 2014
Water Safety Plan Guide:
Groundwater Abstraction – Springs
10
iii
Introduction
Source water abstraction is the process of taking water from the source for transmission to
the treatment plant or pre-treatment storage. This Guide is concerned with the abstraction of
water from springs.
If an event related to abstraction occurs (ie, the quantity or quality of water is affected by the
abstraction process), the following could happen:

If there is not enough source water available to meet demand, sickness can be caused
by poor hygiene and by low pressure letting germs and chemicals get into the
distribution system

If contamination gets into the spring box,‡ germs and chemicals can cause sickness

If contamination gets into the aquifer, germs and chemicals can cause sickness

If a problem with the bore/wellhead does not allow enough water to be drawn from the
aquifer, sickness can be caused by poor hygiene and by low pressure letting germs and
chemicals get into the distribution system.
Activities during the operation and construction of a spring source may present risks to the
health of staff. These are acknowledged but are not discussed further, as such risks are the
subject of health and safety in employment legislation.
When constructing a bore/well you need to be aware of the requirements of:

the Resource Management Act

specific requirements of local authorities and regional councils.
Drawing water from the source, and the risks associated with it, cannot be viewed in isolation;
the process influences, and is influenced by, other water supply elements:

Land use and activities carried out in the area where water enters the aquifer may affect
the quality of the water being abstracted (see Guide S1.1)

The quality of the groundwater will influence the treatment it requires (see P5, P6, P7,
and P8 series of Guides).
Several factors influence the likelihood of contamination of the spring water:

how close local pollution sources are:
–
–
–
–
–
‡
septic tanks or other waste disposal systems
chemical or fertiliser stores
intensive agriculture
refuse dumps
underground fuel tanks
Construction to collect the water at the spring.
Ref P1.4
Version 1, January 2014
Water Safety Plan Guide:
Groundwater Abstraction – Springs
1

how easily the groundwater can be contaminated (influenced by, for example):
–
–
–
–
–
–

water table
confining layers
hydraulic conductivity
soil characteristics
rainfall
use of irrigation
contamination of the aquifer due to:
–
–
–
back-siphoning
poor construction of the spring box
poor design of the spring box, and surroundings that allow surface run-off into
it.
The risk to groundwater quality therefore depends on the quality of the water in the aquifer
and the design, construction and operation of the spring.
2
Water Safety Plan Guide:
Groundwater Abstraction – Springs
Ref P1.4
Version 1, January 2014
Risk Summary
The events creating the two greatest risks involved in abstracting water from the source are
not being able to draw enough water (see P1.4.1, P1.4.4), and contaminated water getting
into the spring box (see P1.4.2).
The most important preventive measures are:

regularly inspect the intake (see P1.4.4.1)

take steps to conserve water when a water shortage looks likely (see P1.4.1.1)

place covers over the spring box, and put drains to stop run-off getting into it (see
P1.4.2.1)

put a fence around the spring to stop contamination by stock (see P1.4.2.2).
(References in parentheses are to the Risk Information Table.)
Ref P1.4
Version 1, January 2014
Water Safety Plan Guide:
Groundwater Abstraction – Springs
3
Risk Information Table
Reliable information about water quality is essential for the proper management of a water
supply. Knowledgeable and skilled staff are also essential for minimising the public health
risks associated with water supplies. Please read the staff training (Guide G1) and the
monitoring guides (Guide G2). While we haven’t pointed out every detail of how these
documents are linked with the present document, the links are many and are important.
Abbreviations: DWSNZ – Drinking-Water Standards for New Zealand.
Causes
Preventive measures
Checking preventive measures
What to check
Corrective action
Signs that action is
needed
Event: NOT ENOUGH SOURCE WATER AVAILABLE FOR ABSTRACTION
Hazards: Germs and chemicals that get into the water because of low system pressure; hazards associated
with poor hygiene.
Level of risk: High

P1.4.1.1
Drought.


P1.4.1.2
Resource
consent
limitations.
4
Start water
conservation
measures as soon as
water shortage
becomes likely.

Water demand.


Source usage
rate.
Drop in system
pressure.


System
pressure.
Customer
complaints about
low pressure.
Plan the development
and use of the water
source, and the need
to identify and
develop new sources,
based on flow records
of the spring.
Negotiate new
resource consents.

Prepare new
resource
consent
application.

Find new
sources.

Increase
storage
capacity.

Partially close
valves through
the network to
equalise
pressures.

Water demand.

Source usage
rate.
Drop in system
pressure.


Find new
sources.

System
pressure.
Customer
complaints about
low pressure.


Increase
storage
capacity.
Water Safety Plan Guide:
Groundwater Abstraction – Springs
Ref P1.4
Version 1, January 2014
Causes
Preventive measures
Checking preventive measures
What to check
Corrective action
Signs that action is
needed
Event: CONTAMINATION GETS INTO THE SPRING BOX
Possible hazards: Germs and chemicals.
Level of risk: High
P1.4.2.1
Heavy rain
leading to high
levels of
turbidity and
organic matter.
P1.4.2.2

Install upstream cutoff drains to minimise
contamination from
run-off.

Ensure spring box is
covered, and
constructed so that
water cannot enter
through manholes.

Observed or
known
contamination
in area of
spring.

Raw water:
turbidity,
suspended
solids,
microbiological
quality.

Non-compliance
with DWSNZ:
2000 particularly
turbidity, and
E. coli counts.

Increased filter
backwash
frequency (if
filtering).

Difficulty in
achieving free
available chlorine
residual in treated
water (if
chlorinating).

Spring box not
covered.
Fence off abstraction
area, and undertake
regular inspection and
repair.

Review pretreatment
options.

Review
alternative
source options.

Increase
chlorine
residual in
treated water.
Event: CONTAMINATION OF THE AQUIFER (the source)
Possible hazards: Germs and chemical determinands appropriate to contamination sources.
Level of risk: High
P1.4.3.1
Contamination
sources (eg,
stock, septic
tanks, chemical
sources) in
aquifer
recharge zone.

Identify potential
sources of
contamination when
source is being
selected (see Guide
S1.1).

Monitor changes in
land use (including
urban developments)
and the potential for
contamination they
create, once the
source is in use.

Restrict activities in
the aquifer recharge
zone that may
contaminate the water
(see S1 Guide
series).

Gather information
about the vulnerability
of the aquifer before
undertaking
development.
Ref P1.4
Version 1, January 2014

Microbiological
quality.

Chemicals that
the potential
contamination
source is likely
to produce.

No survey of
potential sources
of contamination
undertaken.

No aquifer tests
carried out.

No system in
place for
obtaining
information about
changing land
use.

Add treatment
processes to
remove
identified
contaminants.

Instigate system
for gathering
information
about land use
changes.
Water Safety Plan Guide:
Groundwater Abstraction – Springs
5
Causes
Preventive measures
Checking preventive measures
What to check
Corrective action
Signs that action is
needed
Event: TOO LITTLE WATER CAN BE DRAWN FROM THE SPRING TO MEET DEMAND
Possible hazards: Germs and chemicals that get into the water because of low system pressure; hazards
associated with poor hygiene.
Level of risk: High1

P1.4.4.1
Screens
damaged or
clogged with
organic matter.

P1.4.4.2
Screens
clogged with
iron or calcium
deposits.

P1.4.4.3
Intake and
screen clogged
with debris –
common
problem with
coffer dam type
intakes.
P1.4.4.4
6
Regular programme
of inspection of
screens. This should
be intensified during
times of low flow
conditions.

Regular programme
of inspection and
cleaning of dam with
increased frequency
during autumn.

Ensure there is no
vegetation
overhanging the dam.

Regular maintenance 
and inspections of the
intake.

Early warning system
installed to indicate
change in flow.

Intake inspections,

regularly and directly
after floods etc, with
follow-up action if
required for existing
protection (eg, fences,
vegetation and soil
instability).

Telemetric alarm at
treatment plant for low
flows.
Catastrophic
failure (eg,
flood, slips or
earthquakerelated
damage).
1


Failure of the
intake structure.
P1.4.4.5
Regular inspection
and cleaning of
screens which should
be intensified during
times of flood
(sediment) and under
low flow conditions
(algae, weed slimes).
Flow (from
intake).

Reduced flow.

Biological growths
on screens.
Flow (from
intake).

Reduced flow.

Scale build-up on
leaking couplings,
pipe joints etc.
Flow (from
intake).

Reduced flow.

Vegetation
floating in the
water.
Flow (from
intake).

Low or no flows.
Weather
conditions.

Reduced or no
flow.

Modify intake.

Change screen
pore or slot
size.

Investigate
covering the
seepage area.

Re develop
spring area.

Review
maintenance
and inspection
procedures.

Repair damage
and revise
inspection
schedule.
The level of risk will probably increase the lower the flow of the water is.
Water Safety Plan Guide:
Groundwater Abstraction – Springs
Ref P1.4
Version 1, January 2014
Causes
Preventive measures
Checking preventive measures
What to check
Corrective action
Signs that action is
needed
Event: TOO LITTLE WATER CAN BE DRAWN FROM THE SPRING TO MEET DEMAND cont’d
P1.4.4.6

Pump failure
(see Guide 10).
Maintenance
according to
manufacturers’
recommendations.

Telemetric
records.

No water.

New pumps.


Alarm activated.

Maintenance
records.

No maintenance
record.
Instigate
maintenance
programme.

Alarm to
indicate faults.

No flow.

Review with
power authority.

Standby pump with
auto-switch to
alternate pumps.

Operate duty and
standby pumps using
an alternate ‘number
of days‘ cycle.

Telemetric alarm for
low flows.

Regular inspection of
cabling, power lines
and connectors.

Stand-by generator.

Battery backed-up
alarms.
P1.4.4.8

Construct a fence
around the intake site.

Vandalism/
sabotage.
Damage to the
intake.

Install intruder alarm.

Evidence of
attempts to gain
access to the
intake.
P1.4.4.7
Power failure.
Ref P1.4
Version 1, January 2014
Water Safety Plan Guide:
Groundwater Abstraction – Springs
7
Contingency Plans
If an event happens despite preventive and corrective actions you have taken, you may need
to consult with the Medical Officer of Health to assess how serious a problem is.
Event – Not enough water reaching the treatment plant
Indicators:
Required
actions:
Responsibility:
8

Reduced, or no, flow reaching the treatment plant.

Unexpectedly high usage.

Structural failure of bore/wellhead, or pump failure.

Implement the water supplier’s emergency demand management
strategy.

Consider whether to switch to an alternative source of water
until adequate water of acceptable quality can again be supplied,
or to use storage. (Make sure that the history of any tanker used
to cart water has been investigated before it is used and that the
tanker will not contaminate the water).

If inadequately-filtered water has entered the reticulation, inform
MOH of the transgression.

Put conservation measures in place.

Close valves at reservoirs to restrict supply if necessary.

Increase chlorine residual as an interim measure.

If appropriate, identify intake problem and rectify.

When restarting the treatment plant, consider doing this at a
slower rate.

Record cause of failure and corrective steps taken.

If shortages occur frequently because of too little water available
at the source, plan for finding and developing a new source.

Modify water safety plan (formerly known as a public health
risk management plan, PHRMP) if necessary.
Manager designated responsible for water supplies.
Water Safety Plan Guide:
Groundwater Abstraction – Springs
Ref P1.4
Version 1, January 2014
Event – Contamination gets into the aquifer or spring
Indicators:
Required
actions:

Complaints of discoloured, tasting or smelling water coming
from taps.

Continued contamination of water supply: E coli detected or
Priority 2 chemical concentrations more than 50% of MAV.

Reports of illness in parts of the community that may be linked
to water quality.

Close intake.

Notify the MOH, and in consultation warn consumers in the
affected area not to draw water until further notice.

Identify the source of the contamination, and determine whether
it is likely to be a transient problem and whether temporary
treatment is available.

If problem is transient:
–
drain and flush the affected part of the distribution system,
considering the need to flush with elevated chlorine
concentrations if the incident may have involved
microbiological contaminants. (Consultation with the
regional council will probably be required with regard to
disposal of the flushed water.)
–
Responsibility:
monitor an appropriate determinand in the affected area to
determine the success of the contingency measures, and
notify consumers, when the supply is safe to use, that they
will need to flush their taps until good quality water an
again be drawn.

If problem is likely to be long-lasting or permanent:
–
investigate and develop an alternative supply and/or
treatment
–
provide another source of potable water until water of
acceptable quality can again be supplied.

Record cause of system failure and steps taken to correct.

Modify water safety plan if necessary.
Manager designated responsible for the water supply.
Ref P1.4
Version 1, January 2014
Water Safety Plan Guide:
Groundwater Abstraction – Springs
9
Water Safety Plan Performance
Assessment
To make sure that your supply’s water safety plan is working properly, periodic checks are
needed. The overview document outlines what needs to be done. The following table
provides the detailed information for checking this particular supply element.
What to measure or
observe:
How often:

Flow records.

Turbidity.

State of intake.

Regular inspection of intake and records (frequency will be sitedependent and should be based on previous findings). The
inspection should include, but not be limited to, the following:
–
–
–
What to do with the
results:
Responsibility:
10
after natural or high-risk events
chemical and microbiological analysis results
inspection reports.

Results need to be recorded to meet legislative requirements or to
allow water safety plan performance assessment. The WINZ
database is good for this.

The collected data need to be periodically reviewed to see whether
problems with this supply element are developing. This should be
done as frequently as the manager responsible considers necessary
to minimise risk to public health arising from this supply element.

Should this review show any unusual incidents, indicate that proper
procedures are not being carried out, or indicate that poor water
quality is reaching customers, then review the procedures managing
the abstraction of water.

Evaluate the monitoring results, and any actions taken as the result
of having to implement a contingency plan, to see if the water
safety plan needs modification – eg, preventive measures are up to
date; the contingency plan steps are still adequate; and changes to
the abstraction system are recognised in the plan.
Manager designated responsible for water quality.
Water Safety Plan Guide:
Groundwater Abstraction – Springs
Ref P1.4
Version 1, January 2014