South Taranaki District Council
Case study for students: Meeting demand for drinking water.
| Water source | Surface water |
|---|---|
| Ability to manage supply to meet demand | Poor |
| Forecasting future demand | Forecasting is limited by incomplete data, especially on water use. (Using water-production data in place of water-use data risks overstating demand because it doesn't take account of leaks.) |
| The existing supply is insufficient to meet projected demand. Additional sources are problematic because of drought, a shortage of groundwater and use of surface water being at its maximum in some areas. | |
| Planning to meet future demand | Planning is improving, but commitment to implementation is at an early stage. |
| Supply strategies include looking for new water sources. Significant investment in new or upgraded infrastructure is required. The council has only recently started to focus on making the supply system more efficient. | |
| Demand strategies include education and working with farmers to reduce water use and environmental impacts. The council will progressively introduce water metering. | |
| The council has adopted a new district water-supply strategy (2007), which, if implemented, should improve the situation. | |
| Quality of drinking water | Ungraded in 2010. |
| Compliance with 2007 standards requires upgraded infrastructure (treatment plants). |
Water-quality grades: A = completely satisfactory, B = satisfactory, C = marginally satisfactory, D = unsatisfactory, E = unacceptable