Water theft from rural water schemes has sparked the Waitaki District Council to take action against offenders.
The problem has caused a headache on some schemes, with consumers losing their supply, or the schemes unable to take on new consumers because there is not enough water.
The problem occurs when people alter or remove restrictors, which control the flow to their properties to what they are entitled to and pay for.
Yesterday, the issue was raised again at the council's corporate services committee meeting and water assets manager Martin Pacey said a lot of work had been done, mainly on the Enfield and Hampden-Moeraki schemes and some of the Kakanui scheme.
Most of the problems revolved around the removal of restrictors or worn restrictors.
Mr Pacey said people who had removed restrictors to get more water would be charged extra costs and their supply would be monitored more frequently.
• Other options are being investigated to dredge Oamaru Harbour entrance in case an experiment using a digger with a specially-imported long-reach arm is not successful.
Suction dredges are not available to do the work, partly because those used by neighbouring port authorities cannot get into the harbour.
Corporate services manager Stephen Halliwell said the council was trying to excavate the entrance with the digger. It had cleared some of the entrance and was proposing to build a sand bank to get out further.
The work so far had had benefit. However, Mr Halliwell said an engineering consultant was not sure whether the excavator would work and was looking at two other options using a suction system.
Assets group manager Neil Jorgensen said that because traditional methods were not available, the council was trying others to find a solution.
• The commercial use of Oamaru Harbour is to be investigated after the council decided to set aside $10,000 for a business plan, the money coming from its dividend from Whitestone Contracting Ltd.
The study will look into all possible uses, including coastal shipping which has not visited the port for decades.
