A new bylaw could be needed to enable the Dunedin City Council to manage its water supply network effectively, safely and in alignment with new legislation.
The last bylaw was in 2011 and the operating environment and regulations have since changed.
The replacement document would bring council policy up to date on matters such as requirements for people working near pipes and fines for breaches and it might better reflect operating conditions, including Dunedin’s growth and development.
A person in breach could be fined $1000 and a body corporate $3000.
The council is to decide tomorrow if a proposed bylaw should be approved for public consultation.
If not, staff could be asked to make changes to the draft proposal or provide further analysis.
If it did not have a bylaw, the council would have limited tools available to regulate use of the water supply network and public health could be affected, staff said.
A report to be discussed by councillors said a new bylaw would be appropriate because of substantial changes in legislation and regulation relating to water supply management in the past five years.
This culminated in the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025 and government acceptance of the council’s water services delivery plan.
The council’s water supply network serves more than 45,000 properties and includes nine water supply dams, 62 treated-water reservoirs, over 1700km of pipelines, 21 pumping stations and six water treatment plants.
The purpose of the bylaw would be to enable efficient and effective management of the water supply network, including servicing areas where growth is anticipated, protect the council’s water supply and equipment from contamination and against damage, and protect against water wastage.
It would prohibit interference with infrastructure, establish rules to manage access and use of water supply catchments and reinforce requirements about earthworks near pipes.
A person may commit an infringement offence if they carry out building work over or near water services infrastructure without approval, discharge into the water supply network without authorisation or tamper with a water meter.
If the draft bylaw is approved for public consultation, the feedback period would run from March 2 until April 2.
A panel of councillors would consider submissions.
The bylaw could come into effect in June.
