Letters to the editor: Tauranga faces another water shortage - could it have been avoided?

Tauranga residents will likely face restrictions on home water use again this summer. Photo / NZME

Referring to the article Stricter water rules (News, November 2) do not blame the Council of 2007/10, that consented the construction of the Waiari water treatment plant, but subsequent council decisions which repeatedly delayed the commencement of actually building the plant.

Construction was delayed due to the impact of the global financial crisis, as people were not moving to Tauranga so the urgent need was not there.

The problem then created, in my view, was that no council was prepared to outlay the now $115 million cost until water restrictions were forced upon us and building eventually commenced in 2019.

No doubt some will use this matter as an excuse to support the Government's Three Waters Reforms but, in my view, had the construction of the Waiari plant commenced when it should have, we would now be well supplied in fresh quality water and currently looking at building the next plant rather than still working on one approved 13/14 years ago.

The council previously advised the Waiari plant would service the city for many years to come. If this is no longer the case, I ask if residents and councillors have been unaware of the looming problem.

Mike Baker
Bethlehem

How will Tauranga cope?

We are warned of again facing a water shortage, the third year in a row. Why?

Did no one think to plan for an increase in the water we would need for our substantial population increase? Should we have built a dam for water storage? How will we cope with planned further increases in population demanding more water?

Perhaps the Government's Three Waters plan will fix our shortfall.

Russell Wenn
Oropi

Make buildings more self-reliant

The Government has now mandated moving the control of piped water, stormwater and wastewater to its planned new entities.

I hope they can do a satisfactory job as they now will carry the disappointment of the country if they fail. I ask if there is another way.

The fourth water is rainwater. This valuable resource can be harvested by each home or business in the country.

This would lessen the load on both the piped water and on the stormwater infrastructure, in my opinion.

Each building would collect, filter, treat and store its own rainwater.

There are many advantages in making buildings a little more self-reliant and less reliant on Council and Government.

G L Hodgson
Bethlehem

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