The Queenstown Lakes mayor wants to see "cold, hard progress" on reducing the district's treated water consumption.
Vanessa van Uden made the comment during yesterday's full council meeting and declared there would be no decision on compulsory metering until other local authorities which did meter had been monitored and the community had been consulted.
The report discussed at the meeting yesterday was the first of what will be quarterly reports on the council's water demand management programme.
The council is considering new accommodation options and Ms van Uden said the council should refrain from spending money on "buildings we already have", in terms of water systems, unless it was maintenance, "until we actually make a decision about where we are going to be located".
Pushing treated water through pipes was costing the district millions and a series of activities had been scheduled with the intention of reducing water consumption and subsequently the cost to the district.
The activities included education, a report on metering and pricing, voluntary metering and a Green Plumber service to reduce water wasted through leaks on the private side of the fence.
"I want to see that what we are delivering is what we actually want to see," Ms van Uden said.
