Grading 2003 Specification will be in WINZ 5.1

WINZ 5.1 is currently being developed for release in probably September 2004. While we initially expected this to be completed in mid-2004, a number of complex areas have slowed the process.

Grading 2003

The Ministry of Health released the Public Health Grading of Community Drinking-Water Supplies 2003 in September 2003, and for much of this year we have been converting WINZ to this new specification. To ensure some continuity in public information, there will be an interim period during which the Register of Community Drinking-Water Supplies will report the old Grading if the absence of a new one. There will not, however, be any further Gradings created or amended using the old algorithms.

Once WINZ 5.1 is released, water suppliers will be able to work through HPOs/ Drinking Water Assessors (actual details to be clarified) to have their supply graded to the 2003 specification.

Supply Area in WINZ 5.1

Major changes are being prepared in this area. With the changes in the Grading, it was a good (or overdue!!) opportunity to completely revamp the Supply Workbench, improve the data views, add extra details for treatments and provide more flexibility for users.

A key improvement has been the addition of a Trial Grading module. Simply put, this takes a copy of your real grading data for a distribution zone, treatment plant or source, lets you edit it, then automatically recalculates a "Trial Grading" based on that information. You can do this using either real or wishful data, and change it as much as you like. With the WINZ 5.1 extended data Transfer facilities, you can also send a copy to an HPO or drinking-water assessor.

Note, of course, that the real Grading can only be changed in National WINZ after going through the official process. The Trial Grading facilities exist independently of those.