Metered water is just around the corner for Havelock and Renwick residents with domestic water meter installations in the two towns now complete.

Council’s Operations and Maintenance Engineer Stephen Rooney says this is a major milestone for the project.

“Although the project was delayed slightly due to COVID-19, Fulton Hogan were able to resume work during Alert Level 3 which meant we could complete the installation just one month later than originally anticipated. This is great news and means that now the domestic meters are installed the first meter reading can be taken at the end of this month. This will provide us with an initial meter reading. The meters will then be read on a regular basis to provide residents with a comparison between winter and summer demand,” Mr Rooney said.

“After each meter reading, residents will be provided with an indicative water usage statement which will detail their water consumption prior to charging beginning next year. Residents can expect to receive the first indicative invoice at the end of September. This lead-in period will also provide water usage data through a complete summer period, prior to charging starting.”

“Water meters are the fairest way to pay, as you only pay for the water you actually use, giving you control over your bill. Metering helps secure future water supplies by encouraging people to conserve water.”

“Meters also help to identify leaks and get them fixed quickly. We have already found some very large leaks - one was showing a loss of water of 75 cubic metres a day, compared to the average household daily winter consumption of less than one cubic metre a day,” Mr Rooney said.

Members of the public can contact Margie Fletcher on Ph: 03 520 7400 for further information about the Renwick and Havelock water meter rollout.

The meters have been trialled since 2017.

© Scoop Media