Better but more expensive water for Kaitaia

Better, but more expensive, drinking water could soon be available in Kaitaia.

The Far North District Council is seeking permission to tap into the Aupouri aquifer at Sweetwater, 8km from the town.

The Northland Regional Council has this week been hearing some of the 49 submissions received on a district council application to take up to 5 million litres of water daily from two bores on Tony and Julia Hayward's property in Bird Rd, Sweetwater. The Haywards propose to sell water to the council and if the application gets the green light, their company, SweetH2O, would build a pipeline to link the bores with the Kaitaia water treatment plant.

Tests have shown the quality of the aquifer water is significantly higher than the town's supply and it is expected to meet drinking water standards with only chlorine dosing.

The same independent commissioners hearing the application, Auckland planner Alan Watson (chairman), former regional chairman Mark Farnsworth and Canterbury-based groundwater expert Hugh Thorpe, last year granted Landcorp Farming and Te Runanga o Te Rarawa resource consents to take up to 15.5 million litres of water daily from the aquifer to irrigate part of the 2200ha Sweetwater Station.

The two groups also got permission to take slightly more than 11.1 million litres daily from the Awanui River, now the principal source of the Kaitaia supply.

Kaitaia's 5500 people need almost 3 million litres daily, while commercial use is estimated to be 1 million litres daily, with the Juken New Zealand triboard mill using another 621,000 litres daily.

District council water, wastewater and refuse manager Steve Cooper told his council in 2011 that the aquifer would not be affected by drought conditions such as those which caused a severe water shortage in Kaitaia in 2009. The district council adopted his recommendation for it to enter an agreement with SweetH2O to provide water at a rate of 88c per 1000 litres.

The district council plans to keep the Awanui River supply as a back-up for two years and is also expected to stop taking water from the Okahu stream and Kauri dam if it gets the go-ahead.

Mr Cooper estimated the district council would have to pay about $4.15 million to own and operate an aquifer water supply, with costs for land purchase, borefield development, pumps and pipework.

With the Haywards, the council would own, operate and maintain the asset and fund interest and depreciation payments on the capital investment. The district council has a similar arrangement with Kerikeri Irrigation for the supply of water to the Kerikeri water treatment plant.

Mr Cooper told the district council it was now paying $1.55 per 1000 litres to supply Kaitaia water. With SweetH2O, the cost would be $2.13 per 1000 litres and, if the council owned an aquifer supply, the cost would be $2.07 per 1000 litres.

"The option of purchasing water from a private supplier removes the risks associated with the current water source, eliminates the need for the council to increase its borrowings to fund the scheme and will ensure a secure and affordable supply supply for the future growth of Kaitaia," he said in a report.