What is the Blue Tick accreditation?
Blue Tick is an accreditation programme run by Irrigation NZ, the national body representing the irrigation sector in New Zealand. It was developed in response to increasing regulatory requirements around water measurement and reporting, and the need for irrigation farmers across New Zealand to have confidence that the people carrying out their metering work were doing it correctly.
Blue Tick accreditation is awarded to irrigation service providers who demonstrate they have the skills, equipment, processes, and quality systems to carry out irrigation metering work to the required standard. It covers three areas:
Providers must meet Irrigation NZ's technical and quality requirements to gain accreditation, and accreditation is not permanent, it requires ongoing compliance with Irrigation NZ's standards. NZ Flow Group holds Blue Tick accreditation across all three categories.
Why did Irrigation NZ create the Blue Tick programme?
Blue Tick was created to address a specific problem: as water metering obligations around New Zealand became more stringent under the Resource Management (Measurement and Reporting of Water Takes) Regulations 2010 and regional council consent conditions, the quality and consistency of metering work varied significantly across service providers.
Irrigation farmers were engaging providers who lacked the right equipment, used incorrect methods, or issued certificates that weren't accepted by ECan. The result was farmers who believed they were compliant but weren't, often discovering the problem only when ECan audited their consent.
Blue Tick was Irrigation NZ's response: a quality mark that gives farmers and councils confidence that an accredited provider has been assessed against a defined standard and has the capability to do the job properly.
What does ECan say about Blue Tick?
ECan specifically recommends Blue Tick accredited providers for irrigation flow meter verification and installation in Canterbury. While ECan's consent conditions define the technical requirements, the Ultrasonic Clamp-On method, IANZ-calibrated equipment, ±5% accuracy tolerance, they point to Blue Tick accreditation as a practical way for consent holders to identify providers who meet those requirements.
In practice, using a Blue Tick accredited provider gives you the best assurance that:
- The verification will be carried out using the correct method
- The equipment being used is properly calibrated
- The certificate issued will be accepted by ECan
- The provider has been independently assessed against Irrigation NZ's quality standards
What does Blue Tick accreditation cover?
Flow meter installation
For installation accreditation, providers must demonstrate they can correctly specify meters for Canterbury irrigation applications, install meters to manufacturer specifications and ECan requirements, commission and test installed meters, and complete the required compliance documentation.
Flow meter verification
For a provider to hold Blue Tick accreditation for verification, they must demonstrate they use the ECan-specified Ultrasonic Clamp-On method, have IANZ-calibrated equipment (calibrated against an accredited flow rig), can correctly carry out verifications across the meter types used in Canterbury irrigation, and issue verification certificates that meet ECan's documentation requirements.
Data hosting
For data hosting accreditation, providers must demonstrate they can collect and store flow data from telemetry systems, report data in the format required by regional councils, and meet ECan's requirements for data collection under resource consent conditions.
Why does it matter when choosing a provider?
When you're choosing a flow meter verification or installation provider in Canterbury, Blue Tick accreditation is the clearest indicator that a provider has been independently assessed and meets the required standard. Without it, you're relying on the provider's own claims about their capability and equipment. That's a meaningful risk when an ECan-accepted verification certificate is a consent condition and a failed or non-compliant certificate means the work has to be done again.
Blue Tick accreditation doesn't just protect you from poor quality work, it also gives you something concrete to point to if ECan ever questions your compliance records. A certificate from a Blue Tick accredited provider, using IANZ-calibrated equipment, carries more weight than one from an unaccredited provider.
Does Blue Tick accreditation matter for the meter itself?
Blue Tick accreditation applies to the service provider, not the meter. Any correctly specified and installed flow meter that operates within the required accuracy tolerance can satisfy ECan consent conditions, regardless of brand or type. What matters is that the verification is carried out correctly by a qualified provider using calibrated equipment, and that's what Blue Tick accreditation assures.
Frequently asked questions
Is Blue Tick accreditation required by ECan?
ECan recommends Blue Tick accredited providers but does not formally require accreditation as a consent condition. However, ECan does specify the method, equipment standard, and accuracy requirement, and Blue Tick is the clearest indicator that a provider meets all of these. Using an unaccredited provider carries the risk that their method, equipment, or certificates may not meet ECan's standards.
How do I know if a provider is Blue Tick accredited?
You can ask the provider directly for evidence of their current Blue Tick accreditation, or check with Irrigation NZ. NZ Flow Group holds Blue Tick accreditation covering installation, verification, and data hosting, we can provide evidence of our accreditation on request.
Does Blue Tick accreditation apply nationwide or just in Canterbury?
Blue Tick is a national programme run by Irrigation NZ, but it's most relevant in Canterbury where ECan's water metering requirements are most stringent. Other regions have their own consent conditions and requirements, contact your regional council if you're outside Canterbury.
What is the difference between Blue Tick accreditation and IANZ calibration?
They are different things. IANZ (International Accreditation New Zealand) is New Zealand's official accreditation body, responsible for assessing and approving testing and calibration laboratories against international standards. An IANZ-accredited laboratory is independently approved to calibrate and certify equipment, such as flow meters, to a traceable, recognised standard. Blue Tick, by contrast, is accreditation awarded to a service provider, such as NZ Flow Group, by Irrigation NZ, recognising that the provider has the skills, processes, and equipment to carry out irrigation metering work correctly.
In practice, NZ Flow Group sends our Flexim Fluxus F601 portable ultrasonic meter to an IANZ-accredited calibration laboratory every year, where it's tested and certified against a traceable reference standard. Both matter: you want a Blue Tick accredited provider using equipment that has been calibrated and certified by an IANZ-accredited laboratory.