A water rethink is needed for New Plymouth

Water is so often readily available in Taranaki that we tend to think of it as a free resource.

However that resource is limited, and we need to rethink our approach to it if the district is to have enough, particularly as our population grows in the future. Earlier this month the New Plymouth District Council approved its Water Master Plan, which details the multiple approaches for managing the district’s water supply up to 2045.

At the heart of the issue is that we currently use too much water. On average, our residential usage is 334 litres per person per day in the district. By comparison, the national average is 275, Australia’s national average is 195 and the Netherlands’ is 119. In short, our water use is unsustainable. It’s also not a problem that we can simply build our way out of with more reservoirs and trunk mains because the real problem is the strain on our water source, the Waiwhakaiho River, which has only so much water it can give us.

The Water Master Plan gives people the option to go onto a water meter so they can see how much water they’re consuming. Once you have a handle on how much water is going down the drain – literally – and onto the garden, you’ll be able to keep track of how effective your water conservation measures are around the home.

We as a council intend to do our part by making it worthwhile financially to volunteer for a water meter. We will adjust our prices so that if you use below the average volume of water, your fee will be cheaper than the current uniform annual charge (UAC) for the water supply.

(Regarding the UAC: we’re occasionally asked why we charge for something that falls freely from the sky. In reality we don’t charge for the water – we charge for the cost of treating it so that it is clean and safe to drink, as well as building and maintaining the reservoirs, pipes and pumps that deliver it to your home. A thousand litres of our water costs just $1.25 delivered right to your tap: think about that the next time you are in the supermarket and looking at the cost of bottled water.)

We’ll be reviewing the water fees and charges during next year’s Annual Plan to ensure there is fair charging between the UAC and water metered customers.

The Water Master Plan will also see the introduction of annual water restrictions from the start of January to the end of March. This isn’t actually a big change for the district as we already have water restrictions every year. Indeed, in some years, we have already had restrictions from January to April. The difficulty with the current system is that the restrictions start and stop throughout summer in reaction to dry spells followed by short bursts of rainfall: it’s confusing and can be hard to follow. By having a single water restriction season we simplify the process and make it easier for everyone to stick to.

Another element of the Water Master Plan is based on public education and awareness. This is a key part of our overall approach to water management as before any meaningful change can begin, people need to be aware that there’s a problem and what they can do to help solve it. Not only do we have very high water usage that places New Plymouth in the top-third for water consumption among provincial councils in New Zealand, but also we face a significant population increase in coming years.

Based on current growth forecast, the population within the New Plymouth water supply area is anticipated to grow by 19 per cent to just under 88,000 people by 2045. We can handle this growth if everyone makes small changes in the way they use water. Consider having showers instead of baths, using a hand-held hose or watering can in the garden instead of sprinklers, and using water from the sink for the vegie garden rather than letting it go down the plug-hole.

Overall, we want people to start valuing water as a precious natural resource that we have to look after. The more efficient we are with our water, the less we’ll use and the longer it will last for the benefit of everyone in the district.

David Langford is the New Plymouth District Council’s infrastructure manager.