Wellington water charges are set to increase hundreds some to more than double to $2300 for some households according to the newspapers, reporting on Three Waters plan, or Affordable Waters Reforms.
Perhaps they don’t know that Wellington City Users are only paying $205.44 currently. Although this figure is not sustainable long term using the bandaid method of pipe repairs. Why would a council use a different method if the government is going to take it over? Better to leave them with the cost of replacement.
Even $205 is high for some smaller or efficient households as it equates to 169 litres per day per household on average.
Three toilet flushes at 8 litres, one 10-minute shower per day at 8 litres.
Say 10 litres per day for cooking, teeth brushing, hand washing, totals 114 litres per day.
You can get it lower if you are using a dual-flush toilet. Which uses only 3 litres and 6 litres for full flushes and perhaps you only have a 5 minute shower, which is actually plenty long enough. Some shower roses are only 6 litres too.
So it is possible to get it down to well under 100 litres per day per person.
The fee in Wellington to get a meter fitted is $61.50.
So what else can you do to avoid these increases?
1. Get a Water tank fed from the roof for garden watering and car washing using the bucket method.
2. Fit a low-flow shower rose.
3. Get the waste disposer and dishwasher gone. Put the scraps in the compost bin.
4. Change toilet cisterns to low-capacity dual flush models.
For some households if they get hit by the bigger charges $2300 as quoted in the papers x 10 years = $23,000 yikes.
Now we are in a different territory. What can we do here?
Leave the metered water connected for drought times but wind the clock back 60 years and go full roof tank system. Back to rainwater tanks with a pump.
We add a modern UV filter to improve the 60-Year-old system to kill the bugs and a strainer and first flush system.
Added advantage no chlorine. Better for your pipes, your hot water cylinder lasts longer and is better for you too.
Everything tastes better without chlorine.
A 25,000 litre tank will feed most homes other than low rain periods of the year. That is where the water meter kicks in. The vast majority will never need it. There are many rural properties that only have 25,000 litres of storage.
So how does the system know when to use the public supply? We install a sensor or a valve to the tank system to switch it over to the town supply.
When the tank gets more rain it is back to the tank again.
You know there are some things ChatGPT will not do. Take back control of what goes in your mouth. Call a Plumber. 0800 HUGE LEAK or 0800 484 353.
Cover/Feature Image Source: Water Services Reform.
