Water Charges
Council operates 10 water supplies: 3 urban, 5 rural residential and 2 farming supplies. These supplies do not receive any funds from general rates. They must collect enough revenue from water charges to cover all costs.
Council has two methods for charging for water use:
- Unmetered properties receive a set uniform annual charge (UAC) which is included with the property rate charges.
- Metered properties receive separate quarterly invoices, based on the actual volume of water consumed.
Unmetered properties
Exceptions to this include properties that have more than two dwellings under the same ownership, and properties outside of the urban water supply boundaries (extra-territorial properties).
Metered properties
All water connections within the rural supplies are metered, as are all extraordinary water connections in the urban area. The meters are read physically in August, November, February and May.
An extraordinary water connection is one that serves a commercial or industrial property, serves more than two domestic dwellings or where there is usage that falls outside the definition of ordinary use - for example:
- Domestic – spa or swimming pool in excess of 10 m3 capacity or fixed garden irrigation systems.
- Cooling of geothermal baths or bores, whether for residential or non residential purposes.
- Commercial and trades, including farming purposes.
- Trade and Industrial.
- Fire protection systems, including fixed sprinkler systems, fire hose reels and hydrants.
- Temporary supply.
Metered charges
All water consumed is charged at a set rate per cubic metre.
Urban, Mamaku, Rotoiti, Rotoma, Reporoa, Hamurana, and Okareka water supplies have a minimum quarterly charge to ensure sufficient revenue to cover the costs of supplying the water.
Kaharoa rural supply does not have a set minimum charge. Rather, each connection receives a supply charge for fixed costs and a consumption charge for water consumed. This system ensures that large and small consumers pay equal shares of the fixed costs of operating and maintaining the supply.
The supply charge is calculated by dividing the fixed costs by the number of consumers. Fixed costs are those which do not change in relation to how much water is used.
Consumption charges relate only to the costs incurred in supplying the water - the variable costs. These are electricity, chlorine, plus a small allowance for wear and tear on mechanical equipment.
Rotorua Lakes Council water supply rates and charges: 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025
Council sets targeted rates for water supply to properties within the service areas shown on the rating maps in this funding impact statement based on the location of the rating unit and the provision or availability to the land of a water supply. The amount to be collected is $14,140,636.
The targeted rates for water supply are as follows:
Water supply (except Kaharoa and Reporoa) | Relative differentials (%) | Factor of liability | 2024/25 Rate $ (+GST) |
---|---|---|---|
(Service areas shown on Map A, Map B, Map C, Map D, Map E, Map F) The amount to be collected is Metered water $6,009,699; General water rate $8,130,937 | |||
A differential targeted rate of: | |||
A fixed amount on each separately used or inhabited part of a rating unit connected (and not metered) | 100 | Per SUIP | 393.08 |
A fixed amount on each serviceable rating unit capable of connection. | 50 | Per rating unit | 196.54 |
A fixed amount on each connection to a rating unit (and metered) | 100 | Per connection | 393.08 |
A targeted rate on each metered connection to a rating unit of a fixed amount per cubic metre supplied in excess of 56 cubic metres per quarter. | Per cubic metre | 1.7548 |
Kaharoa | Factor of liability | 2024/25 Rate $ (+GST) | |
---|---|---|---|
(Service areas shown on Map G) The amount to be collected is $372,725 | |||
A targeted rate of a fixed amount per connection to a rating unit. | Per connection | 462.47 | |
A targeted rate on each metered connection to a rating unit of a fixed amount per cubic metre supplied to the rating unit. | Per cubic metre | 0.5960 |
Reporoa | Relative differentials (%) | Factor of liability | 2024/25 Rate $ (+GST) |
---|---|---|---|
(Service areas shown on Map H) The amount to be collected is $907,451 | |||
A differential targeted rate: | |||
A fixed amount per connection on each Domestic/Non-Farming rating unit connected. | 64 | Per connection | 271.09 |
A fixed amount per connection on each Farming/Dairy-Factory rating unit connected. | 100 | Per connection | 423.58 |
A differential targeted rate: | |||
A fixed amount on each metered connection to a Domestic/Non-Farming rating unit per cubic metre supplied in excess of the 82 cubic metres per quarter. | 100 | Per cubic metre | 0.8265 |
A fixed amount on each metered connection to a Farming/Dairy-Factory rating unit per cubic metre supplied in excess of 207 cubic metres per quarter. | 64 | Per cubic metre | 0.5116 |
Definition of differential categories for the water supply rates
Connected rating unit: is one to which water is supplied from a council water supply service.
Serviceable rating unit: is one to which water is not provided, but the whole, or some part of the rating unit is within 100 metres of a council water supply service and is within a water supply area and could be effectively connected to that water supply service.
For the Reporoa water supply:
Domestic/non-farming rating unit: means a rating unit where the water supply is not subject to water allocation and a corresponding restriction on a flow or time basis. This applies to rating units primarily for domestic, commercial or industrial use excluding the Reporoa Dairy Factory.
Farming/ dairy factory rating unit: means a rating unit primarily for farming of livestock and also includes the Reporoa Dairy Factory. Such rating units are subject to a daily water allocation restricted on a flow or time basis.
Notes: Targeted rates for metered supply are invoiced quarterly by separate invoice.
Leakage: In respect of all metered water supply, where leakage is detected, the amount of water supplied will be determined in accordance with Council's procedure relating to account reassessments.