Tararua District Council to install water meters

Tararua District Council will be installing water meters for properties connected to a council water supply.

Installations will begin at the end of the year and will roll out by area.

Properties will be contacted before installation and meters will be placed near existing tobies (a water stopcock), usually situated at the property boundary.

Currently, about 11.4% of water users in the district have a meter – that’s 658 out of 5787 connected properties.

The council is now investigating hardware and software and water charging options and is working on backflow prevention so that dirty water cannot come back into the drinking water network.

Mayor Tracey Collis said measuring water usage meant that people would be able to track water consumption more closely, helping to avoid wasting water and to help spot issues such as leaks early.

Residents would only pay for water used, which Collis said was deemed “fairer” than the current system, where everyone paid the same amount, regardless of how much was used.

Mayor Tracey Collis said meters would help people to understand how much water is being used. Photo / Laura Smith

The installation of the water meters would be rolled out over the next three to four years.

Although it was not confirmed yet how charging would be turned on, the council was likely to lock in a transition process to the new charging system which would be consulted on in the new financial year.

“You can’t manage what you can’t measure, so the decision has been made,” Collis said.

“This is a big step towards smarter, fairer water use.”

She said there was clear evidence from councils in the region and nationally that installing water meters leads to meaningful savings, in some cases, reducing water use by about 30%.

“It shows that when people can see how much water they’re using, they make smarter choices – and that benefits everyone.”

Tararua District Council said measuring water use was key to managing the water network more effectively and helping to avoid expensive future upgrades to the water infrastructure.

“If we can show that we’re using our water more efficiently, we may avoid needing to apply for consent for bigger takes in the future – and that means less cost to ratepayers and less pressure on our water sources,” Collis said.

Water meters were an important part of New Zealand’s Local Water Done Well, she said.