Horowhenua reaping the benefits of leak detecting water meters
Published on May 14, 2024
Horowhenua is reaping the benefits of leak detecting water meters.
The first digital smart water meter was installed at Shannon’s Anglican Church Venerable Bede on Wednesday 13 March, 2024 and within two months 500 have been installed throughout the town. An additional 120 properties in Foxton have also had smart meters installed since the start of May.
The new meters can pick up leaks within 14 days, much faster than analogue meters which could take up to nine months. In the past two months, the meters have picked up 65 properties with private side leaks. Once these leaks alone are repaired, this will save our district up to 85,000L of water a day (equivalent to 3.5 swimming pools full of water each day).
Many more savings are expected as our installers work hard to ensure that all properties in Horowhenua connected to town supply have the new meters by the end of 2025.
Our district is short on water, and we currently lose up to a quarter of our supply through water leaks each year (between 300 to 500 litres [L] per connected property per day) putting unnecessary pressure on our water infrastructure. During the Long Term Plan Amendment 2021/2041 it was decided that water meters will be installed to detect leaks and reduce water wastage to ensure a more reliable water supply for Horowhenua.
Chief Executive Monique Davidson says, “The positive effects of installing water meters have been almost immediate. Leaks are in the process of being repaired and this will save a lot of money in the long run. With every fixed leak we are decreasing water demand, and we don’t need to treat as much water. We can delay paying for projects to store extra water, or for consents to take extra water. Fixing leaks means less pressure on our water infrastructure and we are better prepared for growth. Being able to track your water usage also empowers people to be more mindful of their water consumption and create good habits to conserve this precious resource.”
Identifying where leaks are occurring is far more cost effective than replacing all the pipes in the 115km network which would cost $138M. Each unit only costs $260 plus installation, which is already covered in your rates and there is no cost to get a reading from the meter. Other meters require someone going to each site to record the readings and compare with earlier ones to calculate the risk of a leak, whereas the new meters are read through drive-by radio signal, cutting out the costs of manual labour.
When a leak is discovered, we receive an alert on our software and a flag shows on the water meter’s digital display. Our team sends letters to the property owner when a leak is detected.
Water meters are used for rating and recovering the cost of water infrastructure. Currently, water users in Levin, Ōhau, Foxton, Shannon or Tokomaru pay for water services through their rates, which cover the costs of 91,000L of water per quarter per household (approximately 1000L a day). A cubic metre of water (1000 litres) gives you either approximately 4000 glasses of water, 167 toilet flushes, 22 five-minute showers, 11 baths, 10 full loads of washing or 1 hour watering with a sprinkler.
If you don’t use more than this, you won’t incur any extra water usage charges.
The new digital smart water meters will replace the analogue meters currently used by 40% of our district. Shannon was chosen as the first town to install the new digital smart water meters as leaks were highly suspected due to the water usage compared to population. A suspicion confirmed by the number of leaks already identified.
We fix leaks on our network, and property owners will need to arrange a fix using a private contractor or plumber to fix leaks on their side of the connection.
There is an amnesty period if a leak is found on your property and has caused you to have used more than your water allocation. You can apply within three months of your water meter being installed for a 100% remission on your excess water usage bill if it’s caused by a leak, upon proof of repair.
Outside of this amnesty, if you fix the leak within two months you may be eligible for a 50% reduction on your current bill.
You will need to apply for a remission in writing along with proof the leak has been fixed, such as confirmation from your plumber or two photos of your meter reading taken one week apart (if your property still has an analogue meter).
We will work with people on a case-by-case basis to help if they are facing hardship.
Water meters give us the option to share the costs more fairly through a user-pays system, should there be a review of how water is billed in the future the community will be consulted before any changes are considered.
“Water meters are just one piece of the puzzle to build water resiliency in Horowhenua,” Monique continues. “As part of the Long Term Plan Amendment, it was decided an additional $75M be spent in the next decade on three waters infrastructure. The installation of the new water meters is one of the initiatives being introduced to ensure a resilient water supply in Horowhenua. Council has been working towards the most significant and aspirational three waters infrastructure projects in our recent history – the Poads Road Water Supply Reservoir (WSR) which focuses on constructing a large water supply reservoir on Council-owned land between Poads Road and the Ōhau River and all builds at Tara-Ika will require rainwater tanks. Once the water meter roll out is complete, we will also investigate options for how people can monitor their water usage using an app connecting to their water meter.”
Small changes to water consumption habits can have a big impact – such as limiting your shower time, turning taps off when brushing your teeth and only doing full loads in your washing machine. Visit our Water Savings tips page for more ideas on how to conserve water.
Installing the new water meters has also created jobs. There are three water meter installers, two of who were recruited through Horowhenua Mayors Task Force for Jobs (MTFJ). A nationwide partnership between Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) and the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), MTFJ focuses on connecting young people with suitable training, employment and mentoring opportunities; and helping remove any barriers to employment or training while providing a platform for job creation.
The two young recruits have been on the water meters journey since April this year, learning about our water networks, installing meters and carrying out checks to see if the meters have picked up leaks and are connecting with monitoring software correctly.
“There are a lot of opportunities in water services, and this has been a great foot in the door,” MTFJ recruit and Field Technician Liam Tipping says. “I’ve learned a lot about the industry and I’m excited to see where this role could lead. I’m proud to be part of a project which will benefit my community for years to come.”
The physical installation of the meter is only one part of the process. The field technicians need to find the water toby, check it’s ready for the installation of a new meter and capture the details from old analogue meters if the property has one. The existing meter number and final reading need to be recorded alongside the new meter serial number and GPS location in an electronic survey completed on a smart phone app.
Our water meter installers carry identification cards and there is only a short disruption to water services as the water meters are installed.
Monique Davidson continues, “Our installers are doing a great job installing meters which bring great benefit to our community. Thank you for your patience and cooperation while this work is carried out. We ask that people continue to be respectful of our installers and if you have any questions, please contact Council on 06 366 0999 or visit our website for more information.”
Information on how the new water meter system works, including information on the current water consumption rates and how to check your property for a leak is available on our Water Meters page.
You can also contact us on 06 366 0999 or enquiries@horowhenua.govt.nz with any questions.