Meter Selection and Verification
Meter Selection
There are many different types and brands of meter on the market. The most common types of meter found in Hawke’s Bay are mechanical meters and electromagnetic flow meters (mag flows). Mechanical meters are only suitable on clean water of potable standard. All surface water takes must be fitted with mag flows. You can read more about the types of water meters by reading our Flow Meter Pamphlet.
Your meter must also be installed as per your consent conditions (usually this requires you to comply with Councils Technical Specification for Meter Installations) or as per the Blue Tick Guidelines.
Ultimately, your chosen service provider can recommend the right type of meter for your water quality and will ensure your installation is compliant.
Verification
Your water meter is required to be checked for accuracy within the first water year (1 July - 30 June) for your consented flow rate and then every 5 years.
Example: for a consented maximum flow rate of 10 litres per second your meter must be verified as +/-5% accurate by the 30th June 2015 then again by the 30th June 2020.
Verification is like a car Warrant of Fitness and determines that the records of water use are accurate. Please read the Verification of Water Measuring Devices info sheet for a more detailed explanation of verification methods. Currently only Flow-rigs have Council Approval in Hawke’s Bay. If this is not an appropriate method for your situation please contact Council to discuss options.
By law, Verification must be carried out by a person who the Councils deems as suitably qualified. As part of the INZ Accreditation Programme, HBRC will deem those individuals who pass the Verification Unit Standard as suitably qualified. For verification it is the person, not just the company who must be accredited.
