Masterton District Council has deferred the start of charging for water using water meters, originally scheduled to begin on 1 July, after usage data highlighted some potential issues.
The decision followed analysis of monthly usage data collected from meters which found that:
- It was unclear whether exceptionally high usage in some properties is the result of leaks or genuine usage;
- Significant leaks may take some time for property owners to repair;
- Properties with significant leaks may lack the financial ability to carry out repairs, leading to high water bills. Allowing more time to remedy the leaks enables property owners to get a more accurate view of their charges;
- Following potential significant leaks being fixed, the Council will need to recalculate the revenue required to cover the costs of supplying water to the community based on the revised use data.
Council General Manager Infrastructure & Assets, Maseina Koneferenisi said deferring the introduction of water meter charging would allow ‘mock’ bills to be sent to property owners before charging begins, enabling them to identify unintended water use.
Council staff will also work with the owners of properties where water usage is abnormally high to help understand the causes, she said.
Work will continue to install the remaining meters for individual services – around 100 meters of some 10,340 – and confirm the approach for properties with shared water connections.
“We will be taking a proactive approach to addressing these issues including testing our systems and processes to enable a smooth rollout, while allowing our community time to better understand their own water use,” Mrs Koneferenisi said.
“It is essential that our charging system accurately reflects water use and generates the appropriate amount to pay for the cost of supplying water services.”
“We are mindful of the inevitable change Local Water Done Well introduces, regardless of the outcome of consultation, and want to ensure we are not introducing too much change at the same time,” she said.
