If your resource consent allows you to take 5 litres per second or more, the clock is now down to nine weeks. From 3 September 2026, you'll need 15-minute interval water use data reporting electronically to your council, every day.
This is the third and final phase of the Resource Management (Measurement and Reporting of Water Takes) Regulations rollout. The same telemetry requirement already applies to larger takes, 20 L/s and above since September 2022, and 10 L/s and above since September 2024. From September this year, it extends down to any consented take of 5 L/s or more, bringing a much larger number of smaller irrigation and water-take consents into scope for the first time.
In practical terms, meeting the deadline means three things need to be in place at your point of take: a correctly installed flow meter capable of measuring at 15-minute intervals, a telemetry or logger device that captures and transmits that data, and a connection that automatically delivers it to your council daily. Meters installed since around 2010 are often telemetry-compatible already, but plenty of older mechanical meters around Canterbury simply aren't, and won't be upgradeable without replacement.
One detail worth knowing: there's no general ability to apply for an exemption if you can't meet the requirements by the deadline. Councils can grant limited extensions for genuine telecommunications limitations at a site, but that's assessed case by case, it isn't a fallback for leaving things until the last minute.
At NZ Flow Group, we're Blue Tick accredited across installation, verification, and data hosting, which means we can take care of the whole chain: confirming whether your existing meter is telemetry-ready, installing and verifying a compliant meter if it isn't, and setting up the daily data reporting your council requires. With the deadline now inside the typical install and verification lead time, particularly heading into the busier spring season, getting your site assessed sooner rather than later is the simplest way to avoid a last-minute scramble.