Comparative Sewage Costs

Sent: Thursday, July 18, 2024 4:58 PM
Subject: Information request - comparative sewage costs

I refer to your information request of 19 June 2024 which was processed under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.

You requested comparative costs in 2024 terms of what Lake Okareka people paid for their sewage system and added to that the costs that have contributed to the town sewage plant since being connected.

In 2010 the Lake Okareka sewerage scheme lump sum was $11,048 + GST. Using the Reserve Bank CPI inflation calculator that equates to $15,706 + GST in today’s dollars noting that construction cost inflation has increased at a faster rate than the CPI measure used in the Reserve Bank calculator.

Households that have been connected to the scheme have also paid the annual sewerage connection charge within their rates bill. This charge covers the annual operational costs of running the scheme and is not attributable to the capital repayment of the construction of the scheme.