27 May 2019

Havelock and Renwick residents are one step closer to a metered water regime with Council awarding the contract for the meter box installation to Fulton Hogan.

A site start date has been signalled for July and the work is expected to take around nine months to complete. Once the meter box and manifold installation has been carried out, the actual water meters will be installed.

Council Operations and Maintenance Engineer, Stephen Rooney, says residents in Renwick and Havelock will be able to catch a first-hand glimpse of the work as it is carried out in stages.

“We will be updating the affected streets one to two weeks in advance of work in their neighbourhood commencing,” Stephen says.

“Charges will begin from 1 July 2020. The meters will be installed up to three months before charging starts so people can monitor how much water they are using prior to any charging commencing. Water use will be charged to ratepayers, as at present. All work is carried out at Council’s cost and the meter is Council property.

“The move to metered water comes following public consultation, where the majority of the towns’ residents supported metering. Water meters are the fairest way to pay, as you only pay for the water you actually use, giving you control over your bill. Metering also helps secure future water supplies by encouraging people to conserve water. Meters also help to identify leaks and get them fixed quickly.”

The meters have been trialled since 2017. Information about the trial is available at: www.marlborough.govt.nz/services/utilities/water-supplies/domestic-water-metering-in-havelock-and-renwick

Meanwhile, work on upgrading Renwick’s Reservoir is also progressing with the floor slab scheduled to be installed in October, and completion scheduled for July 2020. Design of the Renwick Water Treatment Plant, which will be constructed once work on the reservoir is complete, is also coming along at pace.

Stephen says Council is also currently discussing the power supply to the existing Conders Bend site with Marlborough Lines, and is aiming to install the lines before the end of 2019.

“There seems to be a hive of activity in Renwick and this is likely to continue for some time yet as all of this work progresses. We would like to thank local residents for their patience and for being so accommodating during this time, especially those who live very close to the Renwick Reservoir.”

Members of the public can contact Margie Fletcher on Ph: 03 520 7400 for further information about the Renwick and Havelock Water Meter roll-out.

ENDS

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