Why we measure water takes

The increasing demand for water by agriculture, industry, urban users, and recreation makes proper management and conservation of our water supplies increasingly important. Proper management of water resources requires an understanding of how much water we use.

Water meters, when properly installed and maintained, are the most accurate and easiest method for measuring water flow.

Measuring your water use can help you to:

• improve irrigation water use efficiency by accurately measuring how much water is applied
• determine pumping efficiency to allow water to be supplied as inexpensively as possible
• detect potential well, pump or irrigation system problems
• identify if you are complying with your consent conditions.

Environment Southland uses the water take and use data to:

• keep track of and make efficient use of water allocation
• monitor compliance with consent conditions
• understand water resources and ecosystems responses to pumping
• plan for future economic growth of communities in a sustainable way.