Find out more information about water metering and reporting in Taranaki.
The Government Regulations for Measuring and Reporting Water Takes 2010 came into effect in November 2010, requiring anyone with consent to take water at a rate of 5 litres per second or more to measure and record their water take with an accuracy of plus or minus 5%.
In September 2020 an amendment was made to this regulation which now requires all water users with resource consents of 5 litres per second or more to electronically send water usage data captured by data loggers/information recorders to the Taranaki Regional Council. This can be achieved using telemetry, which is explained in this Council information sheet:
Telemetry information for consent users [PDF, 346 KB]
Measuring water use
Keeping a track of the volume of water consented for use and making sure it is accurate means we can better strike the balance between using and protecting the fresh water resources in the region.
Monitoring your water take also helps you make sure you are complying with consent conditions and using water resources in the most effective and effecient way.
When must I comply?
Depending on your rate of abstraction/water take you must comply with the Regulations for Measuring and Reporting Water Takes before the following dates:
- 20 litres per second or greater: Before 3 September 2022.
- 10 litres per second or greater: Before 3 September 2024.
- 5 litres per second or greater: Before 3 September 2026.
Code of practice
In partnership with Regional Councils and industry bodies, the Ministry for the Environment and Irrigation New Zealand have developed a Water Measurement Code of Practice to give permit holders greater certainty about services that comply with the regulations.
Installing a water meter
- To comply with measuring and reporting regulations, you must install a water meter at the point of abstraction. Under limited circumstances the Council may consider an application for a meter at an alternative location.
- Water meters must be installed as per manufacturer's specifications or as outlined in the Water Measurement Code of Practice.
- You must provide an installation certificate to the Council following any new installation.
Verification of water meters
For measuring and reporting to be useful, we must be able to rely confidently on the water-take data we get.
- All water meters that fall under the national regulations or under resource consent requirement must be verified to be accurate to within ± 5%.
- Verification is required initially, and then every five years
- The Council only accepts verifications carried out by the 'Blue Tick' accredited service providers. Blue Tick accreditation list(external link)
- Accredited Service Providers must provide a completed verification report to the TRC.
- If a flow meter fails its verification the consent holder must seek advice from a accredited service provider to resolve the issue to meet compliance requirments.
Irrigation New Zealand's Water Measurement 'Blue Tick' Accreditation Programme provides a list of accredited companies that have agreed to install, verify and provide data management services in compliance with both Water Measurement Code of Practice and the Regulations for Measuring and Reporting Water Takes 2010.