Help Needed For Community Water Supplies

Saturday, 8 February 2025, 9:31 pm
Article: Diane McCarthy - Local Democracy Reporter

A community water board has asked Ōpōtiki District Council for help with increased costs and workloads involved in remaining compliant with incoming water standards.

Kutarere Community Water Board provides drinking water to about 30 households as well as Kutarere Marae and kohanga reo and Kutarere School. Each user pays $25 a month.

Water supply caretaker and co-treasurer of the board Richard Kemeny addressed the council at a meeting on Tuesday, pointing out that part of the general rate goes toward water supplies, meaning rural users are paying twice.

“We find it a bit hard to swallow when we have people in our community who can’t actually afford the $25 a month,” Mr Kemeny said.

“I have one lady who pays $5 a week because she is on a budget. Other people have to save up or go to family members for the money to put into our bank account.” Water is only supplied to about half of the Ōpōtiki district’s population, mostly in Ōpōtiki township, but also in Te Kaha, Waiotahe Drifts and Ōhiwa.

The Kutarere Water Scheme governed by the board and operated by Mr Kemeny on a voluntary basis, was set up by about 2007 from a 174-metre-deep bore.

Last year, the board applied for Government funding to bring the water supply up to code with New Zealand water regulator Taumata Arowai standards, which need to be met by 2028.

“We had Filtec install a filtration system for us. Subsequently, that has increased costs for us hugely, and that’s while they’re still doing maintenance on it and paying for consumables, such as UV lights, salt as a softener and what-have-you.

As reported in the Ōpōtiki News in November, Filtec is providing support for the system for the first five years.

“All we’re doing is the day-to-day operation,” Mr Kemeny said.

He expects the cost of the scheme to double in the next four-to-five years.

“We have already seen our power bill go up by $200 a month.”

Mr Kemeny described it as a huge responsibility being responsible for water safety for the community and for other people’s money.

“If somebody gets sick, the responsibility is mine.”

I’m also part of a Taumata Arawai Focus Group with (Taumata Arowai senior partnerships and capability adviser) Raelyn Rika and we’re finding that with the scheme itself there’s not enough people coming forward to help us with the day-to-day operation. Basically, I’ve been looking after it for 15 years, on and off.

He suggested ways the council could help, including a rates rebate for people paying for their own water supplies, or the creation of a training scheme or scholarship for young people to learn to operate the scheme.

" There are lots of schemes and many of them have those Filtec systems in them. There’s actually a really cool career opportunity there, in the operating of these water schemes. I don’t mind paying rates for that. You guys could be the spearhead of something nationwide,” Mr Kemeny said.

Mayor David Moore thanked Mr Kemeny for his presentation and for all the work he did.

“It’s a topic we’re quite passionate about and one size doesn’t fit all. [The Government] are throwing more things at us.”

He said he would pass Mr Kemeny’s ideas along to the council team for further discussion.

Councillor Dean Peterson, who is a member of the Kutarere water scheme, said water supplies should be user pays.

“In the past it’s been perceived that if town can’t afford it, then rural can afford it ... If you’re on one water scheme you should not be subsidising another water scheme.”

Mr Kemeny agreed.

I pay a fair bit in rates every year and I look at what I get for it from the council. There are certain things in (general rates) that do irk us. We pay to empty our septic tank, yet we’re paying for people (2.96 cents in the dollar of general rates) to have toilets in town.

Rural ratepayers also subsidise the council’s solid waste service with13.25 percent of their general rates yet have to dispose of their own waste.

The council’s service delivery group manager Nathan Hughes said the balance between how much services such as water supply are funded through general and targeted rates is decided by councillors through the Revenue and Finance Policy. The council asks for feedback from the public on the policy each year.

“Additionally, this topic will be at the fore of public conversation as we go through the process of Local Water Done Well consultation later this year.”

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