New rules with more in pipeline

Farm water flow will all be accounted for. Photo / File

Farmers should be aware that some changes have been made to water allocation -- with more coming.

The Ministry for the Environment intends to quantify the actual use of water as opposed to what is bound in consents that might or not be used.

The reason for increased focus is some catchments throughout the country are full or over-allocated according to the consented takes.

Recent resource management regulations -- for measurement and reporting of water takes -- apply to those consents allowing fresh water to be taken at a rate of five litres per second or more.

Flow in pipes must be measured to an accuracy of +/- 5 per cent, and flow in channels (or partially full pipes) to an accuracy of +/- 10 per cent.

If regulations apply to you, it's important to comply as soon as you take water under your consent unless it was granted before November 10, 2010, in which case the deadline for compliance depends on your allowed rate of take.

* Twenty litres per second or more: before November 10, 2012.
* Ten litres per second up to 20 litres per second: by November 10, 2014.
* Five litres per second up to 10 litres per second: by November 10, 2016.

If your consent was granted on or after November 10, 2010, you would renew a previous consent for the same activity with the compliance deadline November 10, 2012, 2014 or 2016 (depending on your rate of take as described above), or as soon as you take water under your consent -- whichever is the later date.

The regulations do not apply to water takes that do not need consent or consented takes. It's also non-applicable to those taking less than five litres per second.

Geothermal or coastal water takes are exempt and water which is non-consumptive (where you return the same amount of water back to the same water body, at or near the location from which it was taken, with no significant delay).

This is the first step in finding out how much water you are using to ensure you are compliant with your consent.