Water debtors under pressure

More than 16 per cent of Far North properties on metered water supplies are behind with their water bills with the biggest debt a whopping $35,000.

Far North District Council is about to re-introduce a policy of reducing water flow to properties with metered water supplies that are well behind with water payments.

Bad debtors owe the council nearly $1.3 million for water and the council hopes the policy will inconvenience them enough to pay their bills.

But health professionals around New Zealand are becoming increasingly concerned about the plan, with Northland Medical Officer of Health Jonathan Jarman and the Public Heath Association fearing it could increase health dangers in the district.

The Health Ministry has also weighed into the debate, saying it will act if there is any evidence that insanitary conditions are being created by the restrictions.

Council spokesman Rick McCall said since publicity about the policy first aired, about $150,000 of that bad debt had been repaid, or arrangements made to repay it, and the council was in negotiations with people to arrange to pay more.

Mr McCall said on average 1500 of the 9000 Far North properties on metered water supplies were in debt -- 16.6 per cent of metered homes.

About 650 households were in danger of having the restrictions imposed on them.

The debts averaged $400 a property, but the largest single bad debtor owed $35,000 in water payments.

Privacy prevented the council saying who the bad debtor was, but Mr McCall said it was on a block of land in multiple ownership with several residences.

The bad debt was for several years worth of water supplied to the block.

"We have been negotiating with the owners for a while (over the debt) but have not been able to make progress," he said.

The council was pursuing the policy, despite the objections of health officials.

Council general manager Clive Manley said health standards dictated that people receive a minimum of 90 litres of water a day and households with the restrictions would get at least 120 litres a day.

"We share (the health professionals') concerns and would never create an insanitary situation," Mr Manley said.

Metered water in the Far North is among the most expensive in New Zealand, with a cubic metre of water costing $2.31, compared with $1.42 in Whangarei, $1.48 in Waitakere, $1.17 in Auckland (Metrowater) and $1.06 in Manukau.

That means the block that owes $35,000 has not paid for up to 15,151 cubic metres of water, or 15,151,000 litres -- more than enough to fill the 50-metre outdoor Olympic pool at Whangarei Aquatic Centre.

- NZPA