This content was produced by Ricado and is being published by the New Zealand Herald as advertorial.
Farmers and growers know it is best practice to dig the well before they are thirsty.
In the Bay of Plenty, the smart ones are already booking their water meter and telemetry installations. With nearly 500 consent holders needing verified systems before consents expire next year, those acting now are quietly getting ahead, while those waiting risk ending up at the back of a very long queue.
This is where Ricado and ControlTech come in. Powering everything from orchards and farms to council infrastructure, cool stores, and industrial operations nationwide, they deliver the complete solution for the upcoming water metering rush: meters, telemetry and installation.
Water take consents across the region expire on October 1, 2026, and the new rules mean most operators will need verified water meters and telemetry for takes of five litres per second or more. Renewal applications must be lodged by April 1 to protect existing use rights, and telemetry must be operational by September 3.
Missing any of these steps can lead to delays, extra paperwork, and a compliance headache no one wants during a busy season.
When hundreds of operators try to secure the same hardware, technicians, verification slots, and installation windows at the same time, the system simply cannot keep up. Even a small delay can push an installation out by weeks, eating into precious time. That is why those acting early are setting themselves up for a smooth run, and why leaving it late is almost guaranteed to hurt the bottom line.
Ricado and ControlTech remove the hassle.
Their systems provide real-time water use insights that help operators optimise irrigation, reduce waste, and stay compliant without any last-minute scrambling for records or data.
Reliability sits at the core of what Ricado and ControlTech offer. When your operation never stops, neither should your systems. Their technology runs on secure networks and is backed by round-the-clock support, so if something goes wrong in the middle of the night, businesses are never left in the dark.
Water is one of the most valuable resources across agriculture and industry, and the new compliance rules are a timely reminder of how important it is to stay ahead of the game. Ricado’s mission is to help farmers, growers, and industrial operators stay compliant, stay efficient, and stay clear of the bottleneck building across the region.
Those who move early will breeze through the process, while those who wait may find themselves stuck in line with the clock ticking.