Operative Waikato Regional Policy Statement (October 2000)

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3  Significant Resource Management Issues, Objectives, Policies and Methods

3.4  Water

3.4.7 Efficient Use of Water

Principal Reasons for Adopting: Water which is available from water bodies is a finite resource. Consequently the efficient and effective allocation and use of the water resource is a significant resource management issue. There are a number of competing demands for use of the Region's freshwater resources and during certain times there is insufficient water to provide for the full range of these competing uses (i.e. demand potentially exceeds supply). There is a need to ensure that the available water, which can be taken, is apportioned in a way which ensures that the greatest efficiency is obtained, particularly in the case of water bodies subject to the greatest demands. This issue relates only to efficiency of those consumptive uses of water which has been taken from a water body. Such takes would require authorisation by a resource consent or by a rule in a regional plan. This issue does not apply to non-consumptive uses where water is used either in situ or where it is rapidly returned to the water body in an unchanged state as in the hydro generation of electricity.

Ensure that the water which is available to be taken from water bodies is used efficiently.

1. Through regional plans, and consultation with interested parties, develop water allocation strategies which seek to ensure water is used efficiently.
   
2. Through the resource consent application process, consider methods that may be adopted to use water efficiently.
   
3. Advocate the adoption of water conservation practices including the use of water saving devices, water metering, water recycling and the use of more efficient plant or manufacturing processes.
   
4. Advocate research into methods for achieving water conservation practices and efficient use of water, including the use of economic instruments such as tradable water permits.
   
5. Undertake education, advocacy and the provision of information and advice to encourage water conservation and efficient use of water.

Policy One is aimed at encouraging the most highly valued and efficient use of water. The primary means of implementing this policy is through regional plans and through the processing of resource consents. The use of plans and resource consents is considered to be the most efficient and effective means of achieving the objective. Advocacy is also a method to be used to achieve the objective.

Conservation of water resources applies to all water users. Encouraging the careful use of water by domestic households, industry, agriculture and other consumers can avoid excessive or wasteful use. Water metering and associated charging for water provide incentives for consumers to reduce wasteful use. Other economic instruments such as tradable water permits may also encourage efficient use.

At present it is not possible to clearly identify the amount of water which is available for out of stream use. However, to enable timely defensible decisions to be made when that water availability is defined, the above policy and methods will provide for efficient use of water.

The above objective, policy and methods relate to the use of water for which a resource consent is required under s14 of the RMA.

1. Water available for out of stream use is used efficiently.
   
2. Unnecessary allocations minimised.

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