Concern at $600 water valve bill spills over in Havelock
BY CLAIRE CONNELL
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A Havelock man is outraged at being billed $600 for a water valve as part of a plan to help reduce contamination in Marlborough's water supply.
Toni Cacciamani and Tracy Alpar, owners of the Mussel Pot Restaurant in Havelock, were alarmed to find a letter from the Marlborough District Council last week detailing the costs required to install the system, aimed at making the region's water supply safer.
But the council said the decision to install a region-wide backflow system was approved by council back in February 2008, as part of national water and health requirements, and information was circulated at the time through newspaper advertisements.
Backflow is when a contaminant enters the region's water supply. High pressure inside the property, or low pressure at the council's end, (for example when a water main bursts) means water can flow back into the system causing contamination. As part of the programme, all residential and commercial properties are assessed for their risk of backflow.
Most homes would be low risk, while business such as wineries, were high risk, said council operations and maintenance engineer Stephen Rooney. He said the council "had to start somewhere" in Havelock.
But the couple believe their business has been "singled out".
They applied for a building consent to renovate their restaurant two weeks ago but were told last week it would not be approved until the water valve, estimated at around $600, was installed.
"It's just another cost. It's not a big thing but it's almost like every day there's another compliance cost," Mrs Alpar said.
Mr Rooney said a lot of high-risk areas had already been assessed in the last year, for example, Riverlands Industrial Estate, and systems put in place.
Costs ranged from $40 to $5000, plus an annual fee of around $70.
Mr Cacciamani is now trying to rally support in Havelock with a public meeting.
- The Marlborough Express
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