The thorny issue of water metering will be one of the first topics tackled by the incoming Central Otago District Council.
With only one change around the council table - Martin McPherson replacing Lynley Claridge - the subject will be a familiar one.
As a Vincent Community Board member, Mr McPherson has already debated the issue, when community boards set the excess water charges and household allocations for the water supplies within their respective areas.
The introduction of water metering has been controversial and became an election issue.
Incoming mayor Tony Lepper "backtracked" part-way through his election campaign, saying he had changed his mind on the issue after listening to residents' views.
A Clyde-based petition asking the council to stop installing meters and charging for excess water, signed by nearly 500 people, convinced him a rethink was necessary.
He said there should be no "financial penalty" for using excess water.
One of the first tasks for the new council, meeting on October 27, would be to consider a comprehensive report on the issue of water metering and charges, Mr Lepper said yesterday.
That review was already under way before the election.
"The reaction of the council to that will be a bit of a litmus test."
He believed the issue had influenced voters.
"I still think, no matter how well we think we do, as a council, in consulting with the residents, we're still only talking to a small group of people."
The message from the election was that voters wanted things done differently and the council had to heed that, he said.
Groups and individuals opposing water metering have said the water allocation is insufficient for irrigation.
The Ranfurly Bowling Club told the Maniototo Community Board in July it would cost an extra $1150 a year to make sure its greens stayed green.
The club's application for a grant to help pay its excess water charges was turned down by the board.
The council introduced water metering to monitor use, encourage conservation and ensure future water treatment plants were designed to cater for moderated, rather than high-peak, demand.
Excess water charges and water allocations vary across the district.
Commercial users and owners of sections larger than 1100sq m would face bills for excess water this year, while smaller section owners were to be billed next year or later.
