Background - Domestic Water Metering in Havelock and Renwick
Renwick and Havelock have experienced issues with their current water supply, such as capacity and leakage. When these towns were first established, the population was significantly less. With the increased demand for water (especially over the hotter summer periods), the current supplies are struggling to keep up. Water losses from leakage on both public and private land are also a problem for an aging reticulation system in these areas. Council carries out a program of active leak detection to help reduce leaks in the public water system.
Residents in Renwick and Havelock have historically used a daily average of 869 litres and 909 litres per person, respectively. This is a relatively large amount compared to the consumption for Nelson City residents, who on average use 250 litres per person daily.
In order to help manage these issues, Marlborough District Council organised public consultation through community meetings, where both Havelock and Renwick voted in favour of having water meters installed. With lower water demands created when metering is used to manage water consumption more efficiently, capital investment for a new water source for Havelock may be delayed, while the design of the new source for Renwick, and treatment for both Renwick and Havelock, could result in a reduction of costs.
With the co-operation of local residents, Council installed voluntary trial meters in 44 Renwick properties, and 15 Havelock properties, which are collectively representative of the townships. These properties will remain anonymous. The meters use a new technology which allows weekly reading, and the data is helping residents gain a better understanding of their water usage before meters are installed to all properties.
Average Weekly Consumption - Both Townships
The graph below shows the average weekly consumption of water for Renwick and Havelock. The averages are from all properties involved in the trial, and are measured in the number of litres per week.
