Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise says communities source water in different ways. Photo NZME
By Kirsten Wise
In trying to establish a universal, generic model to manage water services delivery, central government is overlooking the very nature of water, and the very localised journey it takes to get from source to pump to pipe to tap.
On paper, and from afar, it may look like all water is created equal, and that all communities have the same wants and needs when it comes to their drinking water, stormwater and wastewater management.
The facts are far from that. Communities source water in different ways. Their aspirations and expected levels of service are unique to them. Their relationship with their water, and their appreciation of its importance, all look different. So putting a disparate collection of communities together, across vastly different locations and with diverse water-related expectations, over-simplifies a complex issue. This is an issue that requires, above all else, localised solutions in tune with local voices.
Water management is highly nuanced and specific to each area. The people of that area have a rich understanding of what they want, where they've come from and where they're heading when it comes to their water. They are not passive consumers, they are invested, and committed to getting it right for their community.
Here in Napier, we have been working towards a chlorine-free future for our community. When the Government introduced chlorine to our water network it reacted with the naturally-occurring manganese, which discoloured our water, turning it 'dirty'. The manganese is a characteristic of our water that comes from some parts of our specific aquifer. Using local knowledge of our aquifer we have drilled new bores to source water lower in manganese to alleviate the dirty water issue.
Also specific to our water system is the history of our city. Some of the issues we are encountering go back to the roots of our modern topography, the 1931 earthquake. Some are linked to the varying ages of our suburbs as our city grew to accommodate the number of people moving to live here. Some are due to the expansion of industries here and the timing of this. Some are due to our specific geography as a low-lying, coastal community.
We have an accelerated work programme now to rectify this myriad of issues. Our work programme includes large-scale projects such as building new water reservoirs and upgrading trunks mains. These are both aimed at ensuring we have a water source that is low in manganese, clean and clear, resilient and sustainable.
Our works programme also includes a suite of regular maintenance initiatives. This is making sure our entire system is fit for a chlorine-free future. It entails going street-by-street to clean pipes, check for leaks and run CCTV cameras to identify blockages, breaks and issues that require preventative responses. We need to do all of this - thoroughly and across every neighbourhood - before we can apply for chlorine exemptions from the Government. Our community is clear on what it wants from its own water network, and expects us to get this work done.
We agree that things must change, there is certainly a major case for it. Recognising that, Hawke's Bay's councils have joined forces and collaborated on a better way forward for water service delivery across the region for at least five years. We've already made major headway in our response to water requirements and planning. In little and large ways we've put in place work programmes that address our unique needs. We've established the structures and relationships required to deliver local solutions for our local communities.
The aquifer, the manganese, the earthquake-affected terrain, our communities' loud and proud chlorine-free voices, all contribute to our very specific water wants and needs. Throwing all that in with 21 other, vastly different and equally important, communities is a surefire way to disregard what's seen as too challenging, too ambitious, and too nuanced to effectively deliver in a homogenised way. Central government's Three Waters solution may work for central government. It will attempt a one-size-fits-all blanket response to a spectrum of complex, knotted problems. But for locals, and the communities they passionately believe in, it won't be agile enough to listen to local priorities. Central government isn't listening to local voices now. When they get their hands on our water, why would we expect them to start listening then?
* Kirsten Wise is Mayor of Napier