Rural Water Schemes

An assessment of Clutha District’s rural water supplies is underway, looking at how the schemes could operate in the future. Click here to sign up for email and/or text updates or download Antenno.

There are 12 rural water schemes in the Clutha District: Moa Flat, Glenkenich, Waipahi, Pomahaka, Clydevale, Tuapeka West, Tuapeka East, Balmoral 1, Balmoral 2, Richardson North, Richardson South, North Bruce, South Bruce and Wangaloa.

You can view a map of all the rural water schemes in the Clutha District here.

All schemes, except for Waipahi, provide water for domestic consumption.

All of the Rural Water Schemes in the Clutha District operate as restricted water supplies, i.e. the flow of water into each property is restricted to a maximum allocated flow to ensure all consumers receive a fair and constant supply.

In order to keep these schemes affordable, pipes are kept as small as possible and are sized to only allow a restricted amount of flow at each consumer’s supply tank. The restrictor allows water to flow steadily into the tank at a low rate, thus sharing the available water fairly. The day’s supply flows into your tank over a 24 hour period. The tank ensures there is plenty of water for the demand during the day for stock water and milking sheds for on-farm supplies and at houses for showers, washing machines, hoses, etc.

All of the townships that are connected to these schemes also operate as restricted supplies – this includes Kaka Point, Waihola, Clinton, Tokoiti, Tuapeka Mouth, Waitahuna, Heriot, Pukerau and Waikaka. This means that every property connected to one of these schemes should have the water supply to their property restricted.

Council is responsible for delivering water to your customer tank as far as the ballcock.

Customer Responsibilities

Protection of Water Supply System

No person shall make any connection to or disconnection from, repair, tamper with or otherwise interfere with, either directly or indirectly, any part of the rural water supply network, including fittings at the point of supply, and the service line. (The Council may recover the costs of remediation or repairs from the customer).

A supply pipe shall serve only one customer and shall not extend by any other pipe or hose beyond the premises owned or occupied by the customer and supply any other person or property.

Customers must not allow water to run to waste. Where a customer ignores advice from the Council to repair an on-going leak, the Council may repair the leak and charge the customer all associated costs. It is your responsibility for identifying and fixing the leaks in the farm including on the storage desk to operate the scheme efficiently.

Where there is any ambiguity in the statements above, the Bylaw prevails.

More information can be found in the Council’s Water Supply Bylaw.

On-Site or On-Farm Storage

Properties should have a sound tank/s with a secure lid/s capable of holding a minimum of 2,000 liters per unit delivered, to allow for an equivalent of two days water storage required at each connection point. The two days storage is to allow for scheme outages where our contractors have to shut the line down to repair leaks and/or work on the treatment plants. The smallest sized tank for a house connection is 4,000 litres. A roof header tank is not sufficient for a house supply.

If you have purchased 10 units of water, the tank must be at least 20,000 litres, if you are getting 4 units into a tank it must be at least 8,000 litres, etc. The more onfarm/on-site storage you have, the better off you will be when the scheme is down for periods of time. It is much cheaper per litre to buy as large a tank as you can afford.

Strainers

There should be a strainer fitted to catch any debris.

If this strainer becomes blocked it may cut down your water inflow. It is your responsibility to check your strainer regularly and clean it if necessary. We advise to clean at least once in a week. Please contact Council staff if you are uncertain how to do this.

Frost and Stock Protection

In the cooler months, ensure that the pipe-work supplying your tank(s) is adequately frost protected.

It is also a good time to check that the connection is protected from stock damage and the strainer is clear and there are no leaks. You are liable for repairs arising from inadequate frost protection or stock damage.

Trees near Council Pipelines

Where trees have caused damage to a Council water or drainage asset by root growth or otherwise, then the owner of those trees is generally liable for the cost of repairs. Please therefore take care in planting trees and seek advice from our staff if in doubt whether any pipelines may be nearby.

Excavation Work

Please contact our Water Services staff before undertaking any excavation work, to check whether any underground pipes may be in the area. There is generally no charge for this advice, which can often be given over the phone.

The land owner/occupier will be charged for such damage to Council pipes, unless caused in the course of normal farming operations. This would include cultivation with farm equipment, but not digger work.

Txt and Email Messaging Service

Council and City Care Water offer a text messaging service to advise users of water scheme issues such as supply outages and ‘boil water’ or ‘conserve water’ notices.

Please provide your name, water scheme and cell-phone number by either calling 419 0200 OR email your details to help.desk@cluthadc.govt.nz

Send us:

• Name
• Contact Phone Number (cell phone)
• Address of Property
• Name/s of Water Schemes
• That you would like to receive notifications about.

This service is optional. At any time, names and/or numbers can be added or deleted on request. If you wish to be on the text-message list for this purpose, we obviously need your cell phone number(s).

You can nominate more than one name and number. Please provide your name, water scheme and cellphone number by either calling 0800 801 350 or email your details to help.desk@cluthadc.govt.nz

You can also sign up online to our email messaging service, to receive your water notices directly to your in box (ideal if you live in an area that does not have reliable cell-phone coverage).

Public Health Notice

Some plumbing fittings have the potential to allow minute traces of metals to accumulate in water standing in the fittings for several hours. Although the health risk is small, the Ministry of Health recommends that you flush a cup-full of water from your drinking water tap each morning before use to remove any metals that may have dissolved from the plumbing fittings. We are recommending this simple precaution

for all households, including those on public and private water supplies.

Fault Reporting

Any problems with your water supply should be reported at your nearest Council office if during business hours or 0800 801 350 if outside business hours. Your report will be passed on to Council’s water services contractor for remedial action, which will also be recorded in our database for response tracking and follow-up if necessary.

Restrictors Must Not Be Removed Or Tampered With

Restrictors are checked by Council on a regular cycle on both rural schemes and in smaller townships. Unauthorised alteration may result in penalties.

Authorisation may be given in special circumstances to remove a restrictor temporarily due to a lack of flow.

Make sure that you contact Council so we can authorise any temporary removal or you may risk prosecution and/or a fine.

If the supply to your property doesn’t have a restrictor at present, or has some other modifications to the restrictor or a direct connection to the main (e.g. to an appliance or a garden hose), please report to council immediately at 0800 801 350.

Please contact the Water Services Team at the Council on 0800 801 350 for more information.

Rural Water Scheme Brochure