Provision of water services throughout the Mackenzie District.
Water Supply
Water Supply Management
One of our key roles as a Council is to provide residents with a good continuous supply of potable (drinkable) water and sufficient water supply for firefighting.
In Mackenzie the Council manages four urban piped public water supplies: Fairlie, Lake Tekapo, Twizel and Burkes Pass. Council also manages the Allandale rural water supply.
In the district we also have two local water supplies that are manged differently. The Albury Water Supply is looked after by the Albury Water Supply Committee under a formal agreement with the Mackenzie District Council. Management of the Kimbell Rural Supply is carried out by the consumers on that scheme.
Fairlie Water Treatment Plant
In 2024 we brought a new water treatment plant online to process and store water for everyone on the Fairlie water scheme. Previously we had upgraded the water supply in Lake Tekapo and Twizel.
A short video from our contractor, Filtec, explaining the new water cleaning filtration system is available on YouTube here.
Water Conservation
Water is a precious commodity which can be in short supply during our summers. Water conservation should be practised at all times to ensure water is used wisely.
Most people think water conservation is in the garden but there are also many methods to conserve water in the house. A few methods are listed below. If you know of others please advise us.
Water Conservation in the House
Water Conservation in the Garden
Have a shorter shower
Turn the tap off when you clean your teeth
Use the dishwasher and washing machine only when full
Reduce the flow from the toilet cistern by putting a brick or plastic bottle filled with water in the cistern
Don't wash your vegetables under running water
Stop that dripping tap
Shower instead of having a bath
Use a dual-flush toilet, you can use only half the water when needed
Check for leaks - A leaking toilet can waste more than 16,000 litres in a year. Even a slow drip from a tap can waste 200 or more litres in a day
Install Water Flow Restrictors - Many shower heads put out 20 litres per minute, when 10 litres per minute is more than adequate. Major hardware or plumbing shops stock devices which restrict the flow of water. Also, the less water you use in the shower, the more you save on heating costs
Use a trigger hose
Water the roots, not the leaves - watering the leaves of trees and shrubs just increases water loss through evaporation. In fact, on hot sunny days doing this may damage your plants
Use a good mulch - Mulches can prevent up to 73% evaporation loss. The best mulch is a well-rotted compost which will also improve the soil structure
Hoses are not play things - Children squirting water at each other wastes around 1,000 litres of water every hour
Wash your car using only a bucket of water
Don't water the paths, or even the lawn
In dry parts of the garden, grow plants that are tolerant to dry conditions
Water the garden early in the morning or in the evening
Give the garden a good water once or twice a week
A tap timer can be a wonderful investment and turn the tap off for you
Water retention products are now available for pots, tubs or dry areas of the garden.
Sweep the courtyard - don't hose it
Use water from the washing machine in your garden
Avoid planting in the middle of the day
Move containers to a shady spot
Use windbreaks and shade fabrics to minimise the need to water
Application for Services: Water / Sewer / Stormwater
Apply for a new water, sewer or stormwater connection.
