Cromwell Ward Water Charges

Cromwell Community Board was updated on the current status of water charging and water meterinstallation at its meeting last week.

The uniform charge for the 2010/11 rating year (July 2010 – June 2011) will provide an allocation of365 units per year (a unit = 1000 litres).

Extraordinary users, that is those defined as all commercialproperties and residential sections larger than 1100m², will pay an excess water charge of 65.30cents per unit.Work toward universal metering is continuing.

All Bannockburn properties are now metered and allcommercial properties and residential sections larger than 1100m² in Cromwell are also metered.Residential sections larger than 1100m² in Pisa Village will be metered from 1 July 2010.

These connections that are classed as extraordinary water users will be charged for units of water used inexcess of the allocation provided for by the uniform charge.

All connections to the Cromwell and Pisa Village water schemes will have meters installed by 30June 2011 so that a revised system for water charging can be determined and introduced on 1 July2011.

Details of the new charging regime are being developed from the information that is beingcollected on water use and the costs of operating the scheme.

The proposed 2010/11 charges are as follows:

•The uniform charge on rates of $192.80. This covers the total cost of operating andmaintaining the scheme including water production. The uniform charge is calculated bydividing that total cost of the scheme amongst all connected consumers.

•The allocation of 365 units or 1 unit per day. This is based on 250 litres / person / day as an adequate potable supply and is based on a four person household. In comparison, thenational average is approximately 180 litres / day / person.

•The excess water charge of 65.30 cents per cubic metre (or 1000 litres). This chargeonly applies once the annual allocation (365 units) is exceeded by those connections classed as extraordinary water users only. This charge is the cost of producing eachadditional unit of water.