The first two Central Otago community boards to consider a wide-ranging report on water services have agreed to surrender their power on the subject to the district council.
However, views are mixed on the second part of the report - a proposal the costs of council-run water and wastewater schemes in the district be averaged out and spread equally across all scheme users.
The author of the report, Central Otago District Council chief executive Phil Melhopt, said the proposals were in response to a widening discrepancy between annual water connection rates and also because the district was facing significant costs to bring drinking water and wastewater schemes up to standard.
This year's targeted water rate for water connections on the council's eight drinking water supplies ranged from $52 in Clyde to $729 in Omakau.
Wastewater rates ranged from $261 a year in Naseby to $534 in Alexandra.
Community boards make all the decisions on water services in their respective areas, but Mr Melhopt said the matter was becoming increasingly complex and it made sense for boards to hand over that authority to the council's infrastructure committee.
At last week's Roxburgh Community Board meeting, members agreed to relinquish their authority on water services, but only agreed to a district-wide funding model being adopted if existing debts and credits for water services in each area were added to the centralised account.
The Roxburgh and Lake Roxburgh drinking water supply had recently been upgraded but Mr Melhopt pointed out residents of Naseby and Omakau still faced ''boil water'' notices,
and Alexandra had yet to upgrade its water supply. Any change to district-wide funding would not be implemented until the 2014-15 year.
''We can't really argue against this; for our ratepayers, there's quite a saving [under the averaged district-wide funding model],'' board member Ray Gunn said.
The Vincent board also discussed the matter last week and resolved to surrender its authority but made no decision about district-wide funding.
Vincent board member Tim Cadogan said the first reaction to the change in water rates for Clyde residents under the district-wide funding was ''fairly out there''.
It would change from $52 a year to $220 under that system and he wanted to hear more from the community before making any decision.
Trevor Breen said it was ''swings and roundabouts''.
''We have to stump up to ease the pain, but we're a community by district, not by town.''
Martin McPherson said it was best to leave the decision about funding water and wastewater to the council, if the board was relinquishing its authority on the topic.
The Cromwell and Maniototo boards will discuss the subject this week, and then Mr Melhopt will report the findings to the council.
There would be plenty of time for the community to have its say, as there would be a special consultation process.
