Drinking water standards for the Cook Islands (DWSCI) 2025.

The Drinking Water Standards for the Cook Islands (DWSCI) 2025 establish a comprehensive regulatory framework to ensure the provision of safe, accessible, and sustainable drinking water, grounded in the recognition of potable water as a fundamental human right and a matter of public health and environmental stewardship. The standards articulate key principles, including the protection of public health and human dignity, the conservation of water sources and biodiversity, the equitable and sustainable use of water as a shared resource, and the adoption of preventive risk management and climate-resilient approaches to water supply systems. They further impose obligations on water suppliers to develop and implement Drinking-Water Safety Plans, thereby ensuring systematic identification, monitoring, and mitigation of risks that may compromise water quality. Anchored in the Public Health Act 2024, the DWSCI 2025 aim to strengthen governance, compliance, and long-term resilience of water systems, with the overarching goal of safeguarding human health while promoting sustainable water resource management in the Cook Islands.