Auckland OK to take extra water

Auckland can now draw a further 150 million litres of water a day from the Waikato River – doubling the volume to which the region has access.

A board of inquiry appointed by the Minister for the Environment gave the green light to Watercare’s resource consent application on Friday last week, allowing it to take 300m litres a day from the river year-round. Watercare had sought a

35-year limit for the allowance but the board decided an operational consent of 20 years was more appropriate. In response to the severe drought that affected Auckland in 2020, Watercare had conditional consent to take an additional 100m litres a day during winter, subject to the awa’s level. In February of that year, Auckland had 40 consecutive days with no rain, breaking the record of 39 days set in 2013.

Dam levels sat at about 60 per cent – 30 billion litres short of what was normal for that time of year – during this period. A new $145m water treatment plant in Tūākau was also opened in July 2021, providing up to 50m litres a day from the Waikato River.

The facility was part of a $224m package approved by Auckland Council to boost the water supply.

While the decision to grant the application was not unanimous, the board said it was a ‘‘finely balanced decision’’ and there was only a ‘‘small difference of opinion as to the most appropriate outcome’’.

‘‘Waikato Regional Council may, every five years, review these consents to consider a range of matters including the appropriateness of any take rate or take volume,’’ the board said. An additional condition required Watercare to invite tāngata whenua and establish an executive committee to help investigate how the volume taken, and Auckland’s reliance on the wai of the Waikato River, could be reduced.

Watercare chief executive Jon Lamonte said securing the consent had required a marathon effort. Work on a new permanent water treatment plant was under way to meet Auckland’s population growth.