Check your water meters are compliant with regulations
Environment Canterbury media release: 20th August 2024
With irrigation season nearly here, now’s a good time to ensure your water measuring and recording equipment complies with regulations, works as it should, and is future-proofed.
It’s essential that your equipment is reporting correctly, will continue to do so when 2G and 3G support ends, and that all work is carried out by a suitably qualified installer.
New rule on water measuring and recording
From 3rd September 2024, if you have a consent to take water at a rate of 10 litres per second (l/s) or more, your water measuring and recording equipment unit must measure and record how much water you take every 15 minutes, your service provider must submit this data to us daily.
This requirement isn’t new to those with consent to take 20 litres per second (l/s) or more, it's been in place since September 2022.
2G and 3G support ending
With telecommunications companies upgrading their networks to 4G, some are looking to remove 2G and 3G services in 2025.
If your water equipment is still on 2G or 3G, you will need to upgrade or replace these with 4G-capable ones. Talk to your service provider about this change and when it's likely to affect you.
Finding a suitably qualified installer
To maintain compliance, it's key that all water measuring and recording equipment is installed, upgraded or verified by an accredited or suitably qualified service provider, and that water use data is submitted using the correct format and processes.
If your service provider isn’t a suitably qualified professional, there's a risk of failing to meet compliance.
We recommend you use one of the companies on Irrigation New Zealand’s 'Blue Tick’ accredited service providers directory, as they have suitably qualified staff for one, some or all of the services relating to water measurement.
Suitably qualified providers have the right training and experience to carry out water meter installations and verifications, and data management services.
Having the right service providers onboard will give you the confidence that your water measurement systems are installed, maintained, and verified in a way that complies with the requirements of the national regulations and your consent conditions.
Use Irrigation NZ to search for someone with the right qualifications to carry out the work you need to be done.
If you have any questions on water use and metering, email wateruse[at]ecan.govt.nz.
Is your water meter verified?
Water meter verifications are required every five years to ensure your meter is functioning correctly and must be completed by a qualified service provider.
To maintain compliance and reduce compliance monitoring costs, check when your meter was last verified and book to have it re-verified before its expiry.
If you’re unsure of your current verification status, email water.metering[at]ecan.govt.nz - providing your consent number, and we will tell you when your next verification is due.