NOIC utilises water from the Waitaki River and directs it through the scheme’s physical infrastructure for delivery on demand and at pressure, to the farm boundary of each shareholder. In most cases additional on-farm pumping is not required. The scheme is modern, using advanced pumping and flow-control technology. Water is applied on farm through a variety of spray systems, ensuring highly efficient use, from river to pasture.
16
pump stations
220km
of pressurised pipeline
$165M
estimated infrastructure value
NOIC takes 8 cumecs of water from the Waitaki River via Bortons Pond, which was built in the 1970s as the primary intake area for the Lower Waitaki Irrigation Scheme. A 550 m long ‘Still Arm’ canal carries the water from Bortons Pond to a large pump station at Black Point (PS1). PS1 houses four large axial split case irrigation pumps, along with a smaller stock water supply. The large pumps are powered by 2.5 - 2.8 MW (3350 HP) water-cooled electric motors.
From PS1, water is lifted 84 m above the valley floor to a second canal via a 1.8 m diameter steel pipe. This 1.9 km long Canterbury-Otago canal then delivers water to a second large pump station at Camp Hill (PS2). PS2 contains four similar 2.2 MW pumps.
PS2 lifts the water another 61 m via a 2.8 km long pressure main to an operational storage pond (the Head Pond) beside the Ngapara Georgetown Road. The Head Pond holds 90,000 cubic meters of water (90 million litres) and has a surface area of 3 ha. The pond is lined with a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner. Sensors in the canals and at the head pond enable PS1 and PS2 to respond to irrigation demand, automatically starting when water levels drop.
Water is then gravity-fed to farmers via an extensive undergound, pressurised pipe network. The distributary works include over 220 km of pipeline, 14 booster pump stations, and associated valves and structures. Water is delivered to the farmers property via an offtake box, which regulates the pressure and the amount of water in accordance with share ownership. There are over 200 offtakes on the scheme, delivering pressurised water on-demand throughout the irrigation season. Water use is continuously measured by a mechanical meter in each offtake box and reported and billed monthly.
In addition to the piped system, water is also augmented to the Waiareka Creek for abstraction by shareholders further down the catchment and to provide a minimum environmental enhancement flow of 100 l/s, as required by the scheme's resource consents.
Landowners in areas serviced by the scheme are able to purchase shares in the Company up to a maximum of 1 share per hectare of land owned. Shareholders must complete a Water Supply Agreement with the Company, in the form of a registered encumbrance against the property title. A share entitles the holder to 0.4 l/s of water, which is equivalent to approximately 3.5 mm of water per hectare per day.
While the scheme is now fully subscribed, shares may become available from time to time as a result of farm sales. Shares are subject to on-going fixed and variable charges paid monthly by shareholders. Fixed charges meet the operational and debt servicing costs of the business, while variable charges reflect the amount of water used by each shareholder. A monthly meter reading at each offtake determines how much water has been used and this can be loaded by clicking on the Enter Meter Reading button at the top of this website.
If you do not use water, you do not pay variable power costs, but you must still pay the fixed operational and debt-servicing charges. Please contact the office to receive information on current charges or view the charges document below.
The scheme is governed by a Board of Directors comprising four elected farmer shareholders, one appointed independent director and a Waitaki District Council representative.
From left to right: Gareth Isbister, Matt Ross, Callum Kingan, Jo Hay, Paul Hope (WDC), Dave Hazlehurst - independent (absent).