08/12/2005

Water under pressure at Kawhia

Kawhia's water problems were in the spotlight at a community board meeting last month.
Otorohanga District Council engineering manager Dave Clibbery presented a report that highlighted possible ways to combat the town's constant water shortages.
One possibility included the installation of water meters, which would individually measure how much water each household use and charge accordingly.
Water metering is not widely used in New Zealand but is becoming more popular with several communities including Tauranga and North Shore City having adopted the system.
While metering would potentially improve charging equity and water conservation, this is balanced out by increased installation, maintenance, reading and administration costs.
To cover the cost of operating the water supply system in Kawhia, households would be required to pay about $1 per cubic metre for their water.
While this fee may seem excessive to some, Mr Clibbery said that experience had shown it was not high enough to change people's wasteful water habits, particularly those of temporary residents.
"Another factor that suggests a uniform $1 per cubic metre charge might be ineffective as a means of moderating the water consumption of temporary residents (and particularly holiday homeowners) during the peak demand period is the fact that such a charge is relatively low and less than charges applied in other large North Island centres."
"A uniform $1 per cubic metre charge in Kawhia could therefore give an undesirable message to temporary residents from these large centres that Kawhia offers relatively 'cheap' water, which is unlikely to encourage conservation," the report stated.
The board agreed the $1 charge was unlikely to deter holiday homeowners who tended to put the greatest strain on the water supply during the peak summer season.
Mr Clibbery's report stated another possible way of conserving water was through installing a trickle feed` system - where water flow rates to individual properties are limited.
Properties which had trickle feed systerns would also be required to have onsite water storage tanks with a capacity of at least 5000 litres in order to provide water during times of peak demand.
Council and Ministry of Health staff discussed potential public health issues associated with the system and found no reason why it could not be implemented in Kawhia, providing regular inspection of stagnant tank water and on-site storage arrangements takes place.
However, Mr Clibbery referred to the council's inexperience with operating trickle-feed systems in an urban area, as well as its potential flaws.
In particular he cited problems experienced by Banks Peninsula District Council when applying the trickle system to new development in their district.
"These arrangements had proved to be very unsatisfactory, with extensive operational and administrative problems arising from residents and plumbers removing or modifying flow restrictors, and owners then disputing the permitted type of supply arrangements to their properties," said Mr Clibbery.
He also highlighted the potential difficulty in monitoring what properties would be on the new system, particularly if new development was located among pre-existing structures.
"The advice from banks Peninsula District Council was that restricted supply arrangements should only be applied to relatively large and very clearly defined new developments, and that application to individual infill developments should be avoided at all costs."
The board agreed the strain on Kawhia's water supply needed relieving and felt the trickle-feed system would be the best option.
"If we don't do anything now what are we going to do for water? By adopting this system we are showing Environment Waikato that we are trying to change things," said chairman Alan Rubay, who believed some residents would voluntarily convert to the trickle-feed system.
"I'm sure that once people become aware of the problem we have with water they will want to be part of the scheme."
Mayor Dale Williams said he believed the board was taking a step in the right direction by considering the system
"You are on the right track because you are signalling to people that you are going to make a difference."
The board recommended that the trickle-feed system be applied to future development at Kawkia.
It was agreed that further consideration be given to how the system could be best applied to new development.