Farmers taking water from Otago rivers are being urged to comply with government regulations by installing water measuring and recording equipment on their properties.
The Government introduced the regulations in 2010 to help in the planning, monitoring, and management of New Zealand's water resources.
Otago Regional Council director environmental monitoring and operations Scott MacLean urged farmers to sort the matter out now.
All holders of water permits that allow fresh water to be taken from rivers at a rate of five litres a second or greater must comply with the regulations, council officials said.
An exception to this requirement was non-consuming water takes, where water was returned to the catchment from which it had been taken.
The regulations are being phased in depending on volume, and the final deadline is November for takes of between five litres a second and 10 litres.
A recent regional council committee meeting discussed delays in installing the equipment.
Cr Michael Deaker highlighted the issue and asked if the ORC should do significantly more to help speed up the water gear installation.
Mr MacLean said in a statement that ORC had been working with farmers to ensure they had the appropriate water measuring and recording equipment linked to their takes.
This work by the ORC was linked to the regulation transition period, enabling Otago permit holders to do the necessary work to comply.
Mr MacLean said ORC had taken into account when monitoring the rate of equipment installations that a scarcity of certified installers in Otago had delayed some permit holders completing installations.
And, for many, buying new equipment was expensive.
But it was still important that everyone complied to ensure that future water measurement and record-keeping was accurate and reliable, so that in 2021, when these records were audited, farmers could demonstrate a consistent history of water extraction, he said.
It was pleasing that nearly 80% of permit holders had completed installing the new equipment and had filed paperwork with the ORC verifying they had done so.
He urged people who had not already done so to complete the process as soon as possible and said the ability to take water was a "critical factor in many farming operations''.
And this was also a "key focus for our region'', with the transition from mining privileges to Resource Management Act consents under way.
The privileges expire in 2021, he said.
Nearly 100 permit holders had chosen to surrender permits, because their taking of water over a year was either minimal or non-existent in places, he said.
