Water plan 'not mission critical'

Kaitoke weir draw-off bid also in holding pattern

BY SIMON EDWARDS - HUTT NEWS

Nearly 18 months after calls for a region-wide water strategy, there's no such blueprint in sight.

Against a background of rising population that increases the risk of supply shortage, the strategy was to provide an agreed way ahead on controversial issues.

These included the timing of an expensive investment in a new dam on the Whakatikei River, with an estimated cost $142 million, or attempting to delay the need for the dam by conservation measures  such as the introduction of home water meters.

Any introduction of meters is a decision for territorial local authorities, not the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC), which supplies bulk water to the city councils.

Wellington City Council (WCC) documents show meters are a favoured conservation option and could be installed within 12 years. WCC recently warned that with meters installed, households and businesses could becharged inflated prices for each drop they use, if consumption is not cut.

GWRC's water division manager Murray Kennedy says there was never any particular time frame to complete the strategy  and there still isn't. While he regards it "highly desirable" to achieve, it's "not mission critical".

For much of this year, preparation of the regional council's Long-Term Council Community Plan was a higher priority.

The 2008/09 Water Supply Annual Report, released last month, hints that getting agreement will not be easy.

It notes the region's eight city and district councils generally favour an "holistic policy within catchments to address key issues around water quality, allocation and use". However, consultation this year has highlighted that the immediate priorities facing councils in the Wairarapa, Kapiti and greater Wellington urban area differ.

"The challenge for all parties in the coming year remains to marry our respective short and long-term objectives into a cohesive and effective strategy."

Also up in the air is when  or even if GWRC will lodge a resource consent application to take more water from the Hutt River at Kaitoke weir.

The idea of reducing the minimum flow at Kaitoke from 600 litres/second to 400 as short term solution to easing the security of supply risk was also first raised 18 months ago.

Mr Kennedy says a large amount of work had to be done on the environmental impacts of taking more water to satisfy the concerns of Hutt and Upper Hutt City Councils, and others.

"A lot of that science work has now been completed and we have been in discussion with the region's councils.
"If a decision is made [to lodge a resource consent application], it could happen this side of Christmas."

Mr Kennedy says this is also not mission critical.

It is unlikely a decision would be made in time for this summer, when water demand is at its highest. However, he noted adjustment to increase the water take at the weir is easy and quick.

 

Consumptiond dropping

Latest consumption figures suggest indicate the message that we need to be more frugal with water may be seeping into our general consciousness.
Water usage in the 12 months to June 2009 (54.2 million litres, or an average of 388 litres per person, per day) is the lowest annual supply since 1999/2000.   While factors such as a cooler summer and wet February, perhaps also the economic downturn, came into play, regional council sustainability committee chairman Chris Laidlaw said it seemed the water conservation message is also having an impact. ''The community is gradually changing how it uses water.
''In the long run, this is very important because the cost of any new water supply option will be hugely expensive.''
Meanwhile, Greater Wellington Regional Council has held the cost of its bulk water charges to city clients for the 12th time in the last 13 years.
''That's not an easy feat in the face of inflation,'' Mr Laidlaw said.
While homes in the region do not have meters, making it difficult to obtain precise figures on usage, city council estimates of domestic water use are: Lower Hutt 250 litres per person per day (Lpd); Porirua 230 Lpd; Upper Hutt 240 Lpd; Wellington 230 Lpd.  Capacity believes these figures are accurate to within +/- 30 Lpd.