Southland Regional Council plans to implement a user-pays system to charge for water and wants ratepayers' feedback on the idea.
The council says it is mindful of the problems a similar system caused for the Canterbury Regional Council and will ensure such issues do not arise.
Chief executive Ciaran Keogh says a system to manage and protect the region's water supply is needed before Southland encounters problems such as those faced in Canterbury, where allocations are stretched to capacity.
He says the Southland regional council will be taking a different approach in its consultation with water users.
