Water Miles

The following is the Kapiti Coast District Council’s press release, dated 18 June 2009. For more info, see the KCDC website. I believe that the plan change is a very positive step in the right direction, despite it not making provision for greywater recycling to the home as a permitted activity (for more information see my earlier submission on the plan change posted on this site).

A single greywater system recycling water for toilet flushing and garden watering will be permitted as an alternative solution under the plan change and despite the small additional application cost it will be by far the cheapest and most efficient way to comply with the requirement of the plan for all new houses to save water. Other ways to comply include a mixture of rainwater tanks and greywater for garden irrigation only or a very large rainwater tank only. All of these methods are good ways to save water.

KCDC press release:

Tanks & greywater for new Kapiti Coast homes

Council confirms tanks and greywater plan

Kapiti Coast District Council today approved a district plan change making it compulsory for all new homes to have an alternative non-potable water supply for outdoor uses and for washing machines and toilet use.

Mayor Jenny Rowan hailed this as a major step in the long term programme to manage water use and supply in the district and said it sent a very clear signal that the Council is serious about conserving and managing the use of its potable treated (drinking) water supplies.

“As much as 40% of the water used during the summer months is for outdoor uses,” she said.

Plan Change 75 requires all new dwellings in the district to have either a 10,000 litre rain water storage tank or a combination of a smaller 4000 litre rainwater storage tank and a greywater irrigation system. There is also provision for consideration of other water solutions which provide a non-potable water source for outdoor use.

The plan change builds on an existing policy in place since 2002 where water use in newly rezoned subdivisions has been controlled through a requirement for water saving devices and restricting the supply to 1000 litres per household per day.

“This is all part of our long term programme which recognises the need to reduce demand for water arising because of new development and to develop conservation packages,” Mayor Rowan said.

“Water quality and supply is clearly the number one concern in our District.

“We’ve set aside money in our long term plan for improving supply/storage capacity, and for a comprehensive conservation package, including public education and the investigation of a range of incentives for initiatives such as the installation of water conservation systems for consideration during next year’s Annual Plan process.”

“We know rainwater storage tanks reduce outdoor water use and, combined with greywater irrigation systems which apply waste water from washing machines and bathrooms through in-ground irrigation systems, there is the potential over time to reduce use of potable water for outdoor uses considerably, and extending the life of our supply systems,” she said.