Introduction of water meters upsets some Naseby residents

The introduction of water metering has raised the ire of some Naseby residents.

A delegation of 12 residents met the Maniototo Community Board on Thursday to express their concerns.

All Central Otago towns will have water meters installed by 2010-11, and property owners will be charged for excess water use. The exception is Roxburgh, which is expected to have meters installed the following year.

From the start of this month, all owners of commercial property and large residential sections (more than 1100sq m) in Alexandra, Cromwell, Clyde and Ranfurly will be charged for excess water use. Commercial properties in Naseby, Omakau and Ophir are also being charged for excess water use.

Naseby resident Syd Broadley said it was unfair to have different volumes of free water permitted in each town.

The amount of free water use and excess water charges varied between the towns, the calculations and charges reflecting the production volumes, operating costs and number of consumers on each water supply, Central Otago District Council assets manager Murray Washington said this week.

Board chairman Richard Smith said the board had agreed in principle to water metering, but it had not examined the figures for free water use allocated to Naseby.