Local businessman Mark Robertson said he and others were becoming frustrated with apparent council inaction over maintenance of "basic essentials", such as water repairs, sewerage services, and upkeep of roads and footpaths in Lawrence and surrounds.
Typical of these issues was a delay of more than three months in repairing several water leaks in the town, he said.
"Our water infrastructure is getting sad, and we have five streetside leaks identified by residents at present, including one at the corner of [Peel] St down the road from my house."
"We only want a bit of service. They’re taking all these rates, and contributions from people building new homes to try and bring the town ahead, and we’re not seeing the benefit at all."
He said builders could expect to pay about $10,000 towards water infrastructure connections for a new property, of which he estimated 50-60 had been erected during the past decade.
"Where’s that money gone? Our sewage pond’s at capacity. We have leaks all the time. Previously we could get a leak fixed within two or three days.
"It’s just ridiculous."
Mr Robertson said he wanted to see the council "get back to basics".
"I think they’ve lost their way. Clutha District Council stands for the whole district, not just Balclutha."
Council service delivery group manager Jules Witt said many of the leaks in Lawrence were scheduled for repair in the next fortnight.
However, one leak, in Irvine St, would require a town-wide shutdown, because of its location.
"Water leaks are prioritised across the district, which can affect the timing of repairs. Depending on the type of leak and its location, it can also take time to plan for repairs.
"The leak in Irvine St will require a full water shutdown for the town. Residents will be given two weeks’ notice to prepare for the repairs and overnight outage."
Mr Witt said while all leaks needed to be addressed, those in Lawrence were lower priority as they were not affecting supply.
He did not anticipate further water conservation strategies for the town.
Zone metering to monitor non-visible water loss is due to start in Tapanui shortly.
"We currently don’t have plans for this in Lawrence, as the rate of water loss is lower than most of our other townships."
