Cost For Unfluoridated Water Supply
Response
Sent: Friday, 11 April 2025 9:01 am
Subject: Official Information Request - Cost for unfluoridated water supply
Kia ora,
I refer to your Official Information request of 27 March 2025 for information regarding the cost for unfloridated water supply.
Please find your responses below.
Question 1:
What is the cost to install taps for unfluoridated water?
Answer:
The Ngongotahā unit cost will be around $2,000, this includes connection, and a 4-way push tap dispenser that allows 2 litre and 20 litre containers to be filled. The Central unit cost will be around $10,000, this includes a 30 m3 tank, 4-way push tap dispenser that allows 2 litre and 20 litre containers to be filled, a pump and associated cabinet and power connections.
Question 2:
How much is Council paying to tank water across town at the new to be established location?
Answer:
Approx costs to fill the 30 m3 tank - $1,500 (3 x 12 m3 loads at $500 per load).
Question 3:
When and how was the decision made to spend money, install, and advertise the unfluoridated water taps?
Answer:
At the Rotorua Lakes Council (RLC) meeting of 26 March 2025. This was in response to unquantified yet requests from some in the community to have access to fluoride free drinking water. RLC agreed to an interim response.
Question 4:
Has the Council determined the amount of water which will need to be consumed from these locations to continue the supply after the initial six month trial? If not, what metrics will be used to determine if it is recommended to continue?
Answer:
No determination on the quantity of drinking water use has been made yet. RLC will monitor the usage and extrapolate that to the number of persons using the option. (note that only a small amount of the per house consumption of water is used for drinking purposes). RLC intends to review consumption data and make decisions on the benefit/costs of this option through its regular operations monitoring reports.
Question 5:
Are any security measures in place to keep the tap safe from vandalism or overuse?
Answer:
The tank will be locked and monitored through our nearby personnel at the Treatment Plant. Usage data will be monitored for an adaptive response.
Question 6:
Is installing a new tap for water supply which is not fluoridated consistent with the Director General of Health’s ruling that water supplies should be fluoridated?
Answer:
Note that the Directive covers only the Central and Eastern catchment water supplies (approximately 80% of all supplies). These supplies will be compliant with the Directive. Individuals’ choice to access non fluoridated water supplies is still possible through the non-fluoridated catchments.
Question 7:
Are there any limits to the quantity of water that can be taken from the unfluoridated taps?
Answer:
RLC has not established limits at this stage pending monitoring of demand. If the need arises for set limits, RLC will consider that as part of an assessment of cost/benefit considerations in due course. Please note that the system will be delivering the water via a small pump system that will have a set pressure of around 200kpa, the water dispenser will have 4-way push tap dispenser, that will be set to allow both 2 litre and 20 litre containers. The taps have an automatic stop (the push button pops back out) so they will need to be pressed a few times for the 20 litre container to be filled.
