North Shore City continues call for "best raw water first"

North Shore City Council is asking the Auckland region's bulk water supplier, Watercare Services Limited, to review how the Waikato pipeline is used.

While acknowledging the water treatment process breaks new ground the councillors preference is to use water from the dams in the Hunua and Waitakere Ranges as the prime source of the region's drinking water.

North Shore City's strategy and finance committee chairperson, Tony Holman, has written to councillors throughout the Auckland region, asking that they support a call for Watercare to review Auckland's water supply.

"As councillors we have a duty of care to our residents and therefore a precautionary approach needs to be taken over the Waikato water source," Councillor Holman says.

"We are asking Watercare to make a commitment in it's statement of corporate intent to investigate the desirability and feasibility of operating a "best raw water first" policy for Auckland's water supply.

"This would mean bringing together an independent panel of experts with economic, environmental, health, social and engineering expertise, to examine all aspects of operating such a policy and report to the councils by June 2003," he says.

The panel would also consult with councils, central government, Iwi, business, and Aucklanders and bring together a wide range of views.

"Critical to the success of such a policy would be reducing water consumption across the region. We see Watercare working closely with us to boost individual councils existing water conservation efforts, in order to achieve this," Tony Holman says.

North Shore City councillors accept that the Waikato pipeline will be required from time to time to top up Auckland's water supply.

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