"You could be recycling it and doing something responsible with it."
Mr Daly reported the leak to Masterton District Council.
He then came to the Times-Age, who went to investigate, taking along a 2-litre bottle which filled in exactly one-and-a-half minutes.
At this rate, 80 litres of fresh water would have been lost every hour.
Over a 24-hour period that is 1920 litres of water being wasted on to the street.
"Water is a precious resource and here is a good example of it being wasted," Mr Daly said.
The building, currently untenanted, is owned by an Auckland-based investor.
Masterton District Council spokesman Sam Rossiter-Stead said the regulatory department immediately began to track down the building owner once informed about the leak.
It had taken more than an hour to make contact with one of the owner's representatives, who granted permission for the council to cut the property's water supply. The leak was fixed just after 5pm on Thursday.
Mr Rossiter-Stead said council officers would today be discussing any further ramifications.
"With water restrictions in place and having had such a dry summer, this is a reminder that everybody needs to conserve water at every opportunity, especially at this time of year," Mr Rossiter-Stead said.
"We are disappointed that it has happened but it has been a good reminder to people."
