It’s very easy to take water supplies for granted – just turn on the tap and there’s plenty of fresh water to drink, wash your clothes, and have a shower – but do you know where your water comes from and how it gets to your place?

In Tasman, we manage a complex variety of water delivery systems. Let’s look at our drinking water system by the numbers.

We own and operate 15 water schemes which include 15 water treatment plants, 100 reservoirs, 30 bores, 28 pump stations, 810km of pipes and approximately 14,000 metered connections.

As of June last year, our Council water supply serviced 15,397 properties, with an expectation that this will increase by 13% over the next 10 years.

Now, about 55% of the Tasman District population is serviced by one of our Council water supplies.

But in Motueka for example, only about a third of properties are currently connected to our Council water supply with many relying on private bores for household water – those bores can lead to questionable water quality.

However, the added capacity of our new Parker Street plant, which went online about 18 months ago, means everyone in the town can be supplied with high-quality and safe drinking water in the future if they choose to connect.

These facts and figures all need to be considered as we look to ensure we get the best outcomes for the future of our drinking, waste and stormwater management and funding under the new Local Water Done Well organisational options.