Editorial: Is water supply the most important thing councils do?

We need to keep water supplies secure in our districts. Photo / File

The so-called Rule of Threes says that we humans can survive three minutes without oxygen, three weeks without food, and three days without water.

So of all the things that our councils provide, is water the most important?

The latest full meeting of Thames-Coromandel District Council received a deputation from Whitianga, whose representative Len Salt told councillors it's been 14 years since a consent was given for water take from the Whangamororo River.

If we have another summer on the Coromandel like we just had, Whitianga would be in a "very dangerous position", he said.

He urged the council to not delay investigating alternative water supply options, as it did at its Annual Plan deliberations in June.

Thames, Coromandel Town, Matarangi, Whitianga, Tairua, Pauanui, Onemana, Thames Valley, Hahei and Whangamata were all subject to water restrictions as we headed into winter this year.

Those in Hauraki District also felt the impacts of the drought.

On Tuesday this week, Coromandel Town residents and businesses were having to bring their own containers to fill from water tankers after a combination of dirty water, a power failure and pipe leak at the water plant left residents with an undrinkable raw supply.

We have a tough job in our districts with so many geographically spread communities, each with their own water supply.

It's no surprise that an annual report on drinking water - which must be published each year by the director general of health - shows small supplies struggle the most with meeting drinking water national standards.

The report showed 93 per cent (3,576,000 people in 478 supplies) got an adequate supply. But as little as 61.5 per cent of populations served by small supplies get drinking water that met all the legislative requirements.

This will be another tough call on our local government leaders. Email me your views on this and anything else at alison.smith@nzme.co.nz