Activity Group: Water Supply Major Capital Projects Inflated value monitoring of water quality. Areas (Millions) 2018-23 Universal water meters. $2.4 Renewal of Infrastructure $2.3 Infrastructure renewal is becoming necessary across all networks as pipelines 2021-23 Treatment plant at Essons Barnes. near the end of their useful life, particularly for older networks such as the 2018-19 New reservoir. $2.2 Awatere. 2018-19 Universal water meters. $0.5 Demand Management 2018-20 New treatment plant. $5.8 Growth in demand for water in Renwick and Havelock has caused supply capacity Renwick issues. The residents have agreed to fit meters to all properties to help suppress 2018-20 New wells and pipelines to treatment $1.6 peak demand and delay the need for investment in new water sources. Other plant. demand management techniques such as pressure zone management and 2018-28 Pipelines renewals $1.6 leakage control are being implemented where practicable. 2019-21 Rural POE treatment plant and $3.4 Traditionally many people in New Zealand have regarded water as an unlimited Awatere pipelines resource and for many it is a commodity purchased at such a low cost it is virtually $0.7 free. The water supply for residents in all areas except Awatere and Wairau Valley 2020-22 New reservoir at Dashwood. is unmeasured and generally unrestricted. It is supplied at a pressure to meet Seddon 2018-19 Seddon township treatment plant $1.1 every reasonable domestic need. It also provides a primary source of water in urban areas for firefighting. Riverlands 2018-21 New treatment plant $7.8 Daily water consumption in Blenheim is around 600 litres per person as an Wairau Valley 2018-23 Pipelines and treatment plant $1.0 average throughout the year, but on peak days during the summer consumption is upgrades more than double the average. The demand in other settlements is similar to Emerging Issues and Expected Changes Blenheim. The summer peak is almost entirely due to irrigation of domestic gardens and other leisure uses (this compares with the city of Melbourne for Compliance with the DWSNZ example, which has been actively encouraging water conservation and achieved a daily average domestic consumption in 2010–11 of 140 litres/person). Compliance with the DWSNZ continues to require significant capital expenditure. The affordability issues for smaller communities (Awatere, Renwick, Wairau Many of the costs associated with water supply are ‘fixed’ and are incurred Valley, and Havelock) have largely been resolved with the adoption of the irrespective of the volumes pumped. A small proportion of operational costs such Combined Water Schemes Charging Policy in 2017. Upgrades to treatment plants as power and chemicals are related to the volume of water pumped into the to meet the DWSNZ have been delayed beyond the target dates in the Health supply. However, savings can be achieved by delaying the need for major capital Amendment Act (2007). The Seddon Water Treatment Plant is due to be upgrades to meet increased demand for water. A particularly relevant example of completed in 2018. this is the current position of the Havelock water supply. During periods of peak demand elevated levels of chloride can be detected in the supply bores, indicating Havelock North Drinking-Water Contamination Inquiry the demand is outstripping the supply capacity of the bores. The nearest reliable The recommendations of the Havelock North Drinking-Water Contamination source of water is in the Pelorus Valley. A pipeline from the new source would Inquiry will have far reaching consequences for water suppliers. The government’s cost an estimated $4.5M . response to the recommendations has not been confirmed to date but is likely to include the revocation of ‘secure bore’ status (affecting the Riverlands supply), In the past the Council has adopted a ‘passive’ leak detection policy. Leaks were chlorination of all supplies, more training and accreditation of staff, and more not actively identified, but service crews would respond to leaks reported by 2018-2028 Long Term Plan Page 95