Taking too much water might damage the river's delicate ecosystem and impact on users downstream.
The consent says the river flow should not fall below 460 litres per second at the point water is taken from.
The council calculates that each dry season there is a one-in-five chance the river will fall below that consented limit.
The district council has two alternative sources to supplement Kaitaia's water.
One is the Kauri dam, but summer algae means that water is currently unusable.
It can also take up to 455 cubic metres a day from the Okahu Stream, but that's a fraction of the 2600 cubic metres of water Kaitaia uses on average each day.
So, while Kaitaia will not run out of water, there is not enough supply to prevent restrictions.
But before committing ratepayers to an expensive alternative water source, we need to ensure we are making the most of what we already have.
We know how much water leaves the Kaitaia treatment plant, and we know how much we bill users for. The difference is 'unaccounted for' water.
That is water lost to pipe breaks, leaks and faulty water meters.
Some water is also used for fighting fires. On average, about 725 cubic metres of water is unaccounted for in Kaitaia each and every day.
That's enough to fill an Olympic-sized pool every three days.
To combat the problem, the council has replaced 665 metres of water main pipes over the last three years.
It has also replaced 293 water meters, and has started a comprehensive leak detection programme.
This proved very effective in Moerewa, where we located large water leaks.
Finding and fixing these leaks saved Moerewa residents around 240 cubic metres, or about 19 per cent of average water production, per day. Some of the leaks are on private property, and the council is writing to those people to ask them to locate and fix them.
The council is also in discussions with one of Kaitaia's largest water users and employers, Juken New Zealand Ltd.
Juken's mill uses about 25 per cent of the water produced by the Kaitaia water treatment plant.
Following meetings with the council, the mill has agreed to play its part during water restrictions by changing some of its processes.
Throughout this process, the council's reference group will also be seeking input on water supply issues from the wider community through Te Hiku Community Board.
Everyone is disappointed that questions remain about the $2.68 million a previous council spent developing a water source at the Sweetwater aquifer.
We know that $343,000 went towards resource consents, $357,000 was spent on the actual bore, and $47,000 went to costs and fees. That means $1.51 million remains unaccounted for.
Rather than dodge this issue, in 2013 the council launched an external investigation into this and other matters it was concerned about.
The council was frustrated that this investigation did not provide the answers hoped for, and it will support any further investigation into these matters by the appropriate authorities.
It is important to remember that Kaitaia isn't the only community in the district with a challenged water supply.
We have similar challenges meeting the water needs of Opononi-Omapere and Rawene communities during dry weather.
Omanaia, meanwhile, still receives untreated water that doesn't meet New Zealand drinking water standards, as is the case with the private water supply at Te Kao.
The long-term plan adopted in 2015 outlined a significant programme of capital works designed to address historic gaps in services and infrastructure, including water.
However, finding solutions to these problems isn't a quick or simple exercise, because these need to be affordable for communities.
The council is very conscious of how much water supplies cost and the need to keep water affordable.
Large capital expenditure has to be funded by communities through increased water rates, making water supply a balancing act between water restrictions and increasing the cost of water.
However, the council is pleased to have secured a Ministry of Health subsidy to upgrade our untreated water supply at Omanaia.
Finally, the Far North is not alone in applying water restrictions. Councils across the country apply similar restrictions, and we compare well for the number of water-restricted days imposed.
In 2015-16, the Far North had 91 water restriction days.
Over the same period Wellington had 180, while Thames-Coromandel had 20.
The Far North is fortunate in having higher rainfall than some areas of Australia, where year-round water restrictions are the norm.
However, that doesn't mean we can be complacent about challenges we may face.
There will be an opportunity to review priorities again when the long-term plan is updated in 2018.
Northland Age readers are encouraged to take an interest in this exercise, which is an opportunity to influence the council's decision-making on important issues such as water.
- Far North District Council
