Freshwater resources include surface water (watercourses - rivers and streams) and groundwater (aquifers sourcing irrigation water).
We monitor the current state of the water quality and quantity.
Using freshwater resources - taking water
Properties on the Poverty Bay Flats depend on surface water and groundwater for irrigation to cope through our dry summer. Up to 10 cubic metres of groundwater per day can be taken without a consent, from an individual bore for domestic and stock use.
To take more than 10 cubic metres a water consent is required. For information on bore installation and groundwater, see our groundwater webpage
To take water from a watercourse for domestic or stock purposes is permitted.
For any other purpose, a water consent is required. Water consent application forms, see Resource Consents
Water users - you can enter your water use online Water Data System
Dams - surface water
Daming overland flow and or a watercourse requires a water consent.
Surface water may be extracted either via an intake chamber installed in the riverbed or by a mobile pump from the riverbed or riverbank. Dams may capture rainfall runoff from hill slopes or may be a diversion channel from a watercourse.
Freshwater plan
The Freshwater Plan has been incorporated into the Tairawhiti Resource Management Plan
State of our environment
We continuously collect a wide variety of environmental data across many locations throughout the district.
During summer, water take consent holders can monitor river flows online.
This provides users with up-to-date flow information to help with planning irrigation, and an overall view of river fluctuation over the entire summer irrigation season.
Read our State of the Environment Report