Measuring and Reporting Water Takes - National Regulation

In November 2010 central government introduced new regulations regarding consents for consumptive fresh water takes above 5 litres per second (l/s). This page explains measuring and reporting requirements for consent holders.

Draft Proposed Changes to the Tasman Resource Management Plan (TRMP) - December 2011

The national regulation requirements for water metering are different to the Council policy and rules in the Tasman Resource Management Plan (TRMP).  The policy and rules in the TRMP require updating and amending through a Plan Change to ensure they are consistent with the regulations. The Council is therefore proposing to amend the TRMP and will consult on the changes until the end of January 2012.

View the discussion documents and draft Council proposal to manage water meters.

The Council intends to continue to require water meters for nearly all water takes, including those less than 5 litres per second. Water meters will be required to meet the regulation specifications, including pulse output capacity, and they will all be subject to the verification requirements. The Council will continue to manage manual water meter returns, but is developing electronic reporting and recording systems to allow both Council and water users to take advantage of improvements in technology.

The transitional arrangements which allow water users time to ensure compliance will mostly be as provided by the regulations and small takes (less than 5 litres per second) will need to comply by 2018. Resource consent conditions may require compliance earlier in some zones.

The Council is also intending to amend the rules for taking water from storage. Water takes from dams will generally be permitted, however the effects of the damming at all times of the year will be managed through the consent to dam water.

Government Regulation, Local Monitoring

Central government has passed the Resource Management (Measurement and Reporting of Water Takes) Regulation 2010. Tasman District Council is required to implement and monitor the regulations. 

Council is in the process of working through the implications of the regulations and will contact all holders of water permits affected by the regulations during 2011/2012 outlining any changes that may be required.

Affected Consent Holders

The regulation applies to you if you hold a resource consent (i.e. water permit) to take freshwater and your consent allows you to take a rate of 5l/s or more.

  • If your consent specifies a maximum rate in litres per second, that is your rate in regards to the regulation.
  • If hourly, daily or other volumes are specified in cubic metres (m³), it will need to be converted to litres per second with the highest value calculated applying. 
  • If you take less than 5 l/s but are already metered, your consent requirement will continue.

Note: The regulation does not apply to water takes that are non-consumptive (where you return the same amount of water back to the same water body, at or near the location from which it was taken, with no significant delay).

Transitional Implementation Dates

The regulations apply to all new consents granted after 10 November 2010. For existing consents granted before that date, transitional implementation dates apply, depending on the rate of take:

  • 20 l/s or more: comply by 10 November 2012
  • 10 l/s or more, but less than 20 l/s: comply by 10 November 2014
  • 5 l/s or more, but less than 10 l/s: comply by 10 November 2016

Main Requirements of the New Regulations

  • Install and maintain an accurate water measuring device or system (water meter)
  • Take daily readings (or by agreement, weekly) from that device (keep auditable records)
  • Provide your daily records together as a set of annual records to the Tasman District Council
  • Periodically get your water measuring device tested for accuracy
  • The meter is to measure water within ±5% for takes from a full pipe, or ±10% for takes by open channel or partially full pipe
  • The meter is to be installed at the point where water is taken (you can ask Tasman District Council for written approval to locate the device as near as practicable to this point)
  • The meter is to be able to provide data in a form suitable for electronic storage (i.e. be capable of a pulse output and have a data logger fitted to it)
  • The meter is to be suited to the water being measured (eg, its sediment content); be sealed; and be as tamper-proof as practicable

Accreditation Programme

Irrigation New Zealand is promoting industry accreditation for the installation and verification of water meters. The industry accreditation programme has been designed to give irrigators certainty that they will comply with the Water Measurement and Reporting Regulations 2010. It provides guidelines, training and an accredited status for quality service providers.

Further Information

Water Metering Specifications

Water Meter Installation and Commissioning Application Form

If you hold a water permit, the Tasman District Council will be contacting you with further details during 2011/2012. 

Detailed information can be found on the Ministry for the Environment website - Measuring and Reporting Water Takes

Note: These requirements are either additional to or superseded by any Tasman District Council requirements.