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Understanding Your Water Charges

Rotorua Lakes Council operates 10 water supplies: 3 urban, 5 rural residential and 2 farming supplies.

How we charge for water

Council has two methods for charging for water use:

  1. Unmetered properties
  2. Metered properties.

These charges make sure we meet the costs of supplying water.

Unmetered properties

  • Annual charge: Most properties pay a fixed amount each year, known as a uniform annual charge (UAC). This charge is included with their property rate charges, regardless of water use.
  • Exceptions: Some properties with multiple dwellings, or outside urban areas (extra-territorial), might have different charges.

Metered properties

If your property is metered, you'll get a quarterly bill based on your water meter readings. Meters are read in August, November, February and May.

Properties that are metered:
  • Rural properties
  • Urban properties with extraordinary water connections. These include:
    • Commercial or industrial properties
    • Residential properties with more than two dwellings or large water fixtures, such as swimming pools bigger than 10m3.
Read more about water metering in Rotorua

Understanding your invoice

Council charges a set rate per cubic metre for all water used.

  • Urban and rural residential water supplies for Mamaku, Rotoiti, Rotoma, Reporoa, Hamurana, and Okareka receive a minimum quarterly charge
  • Kaharoa supply receives a fixed supply fee and a charge for water used
  • Reporoa supply receives different fixed charges for domestic/non-farming and farming/dairy factory connections, as well as a charge for water used.

Water supply rates and charges

Council sets targeted rates for water supply for different properties. These rates depend on your property's location and whether it's connected, or could be connected, to the water supply. You can find more detailed information on the rating maps below.

Targeted rates for metered supplies are invoiced separately every quarter.

Targeted rates for 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025

Water supply excluding Kaharoa and Reporoa

Total amount to be collected: $14,140,636 = metered water $6,009,699 + general water $8,130,937.

Service areas shown on Maps A, B, C, D, E, and F.

Differential targeted rate Relative differentials (%) Factor of liability 2024/25
Rate $ (+GST)
A fixed amount on each separately used or inhabited part (SUIP) of a rating unit connected (and not metered) 100 Per SUIP 393.08
A fixed amount on each serviceable rating unit capable of connection 50 Per rating unit 196.54
A fixed amount on each connection to a rating unit (and metered) 100 Per connection 393.08
A targeted rate on each metered connection to a rating unit of a fixed amount per cubic metre supplied in excess of 56 cubic metres per quarter Per cubic metre 1.7548
Kaharoa

Amount to be collected: $372,725.

Service areas shown on Map G.

Differential targeted rate
Factor of
liability 		2024/25 Rate $ (+GST)
A targeted rate of a fixed amount per connection to a rating unit. Per connection 462.47
A targeted rate on each metered connection to a rating unit of a fixed amount per cubic metre supplied to the rating unit. Per cubic metre 0.5960
Reporoa

Amount to be collected: $907,451.

Service areas shown on Map H.

Differential targeted rate
Relative differentials (%) Factor of
liability 		2024/25 Rate $ (+GST)
Fixed charges
A fixed amount per connection on each Domestic/Non-Farming rating unit connected. 64 Per connection 271.09
A fixed amount per connection on each Farming/Dairy-Factory rating unit connected. 100 Per connection 423.58
Metered connections
A fixed amount on each metered connection to a Domestic/Non-Farming rating unit per cubic metre supplied in excess of 82 cubic metres per quarter. 100 Per cubic metre 0.8265
A fixed amount on each metered connection to a Farming/Dairy-Factory rating unit per cubic metre supplied in excess of 207 cubic metres per quarter. 64 Per cubic metre 0.5116

Explaining water rates terms

Different types of properties (like homes, businesses, and farms) are charged different rates for water according to their uses and connections.

The relative differential % shows how much one rate is charged in comparison to another, like those for already connected and potentially connected units.

How the rate is charged, such as per cubic metre, per rating unit, or per connection to the water supply.

This charge is calculated by dividing the fixed costs of operating the water supply by the number of consumers. Fixed costs don't change in relation to how much water is used.

This charge relates only to the costs we incur supplying the water - aka the variable costs. These are mainly electricity and chlorine, plus a small allowance for equipment wear and tear.

A property that is currently connected to the council's water supply.

A property that could be connected to the water supply but isn't currently.

A property primarily used for homes or businesses, not farming. This term applies to properties within the Reporoa supply, excluding the Reporoa Dairy Factory.

A property primarily used for farming or dairy production, including the Reporoa Dairy Factory. These rating units have a daily water allocation restricted on a flow or time basis.

Water that is lost from the water supply system, often due to leaks in pipes or fittings.

When leaks are found in metered supplies, Council's procedure is to reassess the amount of water supplied.

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