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Waiau Rivercare Group member Claire Jordan said the scheme’s water take was a controlled activity and the group hoped it would be changed to discretionary, which it had been in the past. Under discretionary classification, consent would need to be applied for but the regional council did not have to grant it. The group had concerns because the Manapōuri Power Scheme represents 70 per cent of the national surface water take and low river levels was making the river unswimmable with toxic algae blooms. The scheme’s maximum water take was 550 cubic meters per second, equivalent to 550,000 litres. There was a strong legal argument that being a controlled activity, the regional council would not be able to reduce the amount of water Meridian could take, Jordan said.