Water management

The widening gap between annual water connection rates - Omakau residents pay 14 times more than Clyde residents - is one of the reasons behind a rethink of funding for Central Otago water and wastewater schemes.

Planning to wash your car or water your garden tomorrow or Thursday?

Less talk, more action is the message Cardrona Hotel manager Peter Byrne has for the Queenstown Lakes District Council over the township's waste water problems.

Water is the lifeblood of farming and contrary to some opinion, farmers strive to maintain its pristine quality on their properties for optimum results, a hearing in Balclutha was told yesterday.

A working party considering the future management of Dunedin's water, wastewater and storm water network is to recommend the city council keep the service in-house.

The Dunedin City Council faces a "pretty major" decision when plans for the management of the city's $1.6 billion water network are finally revealed, Cr Andrew Noone says.

An application for an out-of-zone connection to Dunedin's water supply has been successful.

A water allocation plan for the Waitaki catchment that arose from a cancelled power scheme is to be reviewed, but some people are worried it will mean environmental safeguards for the river are lowered.

A process to start making changes to a water management plan for the Waitaki catchment, prepared by a Government-appointed board in 2005, will be considered at a meeting of a community committee in Waimate this afternoon.

A planned upgrade of Outram's water treatment plant meets Dunedin City Council's budget constraints, but boil-water notices may still be required for the area.