Sprinkler ban looms as rivers run low

Increased garden watering restrictions are looming as the region’s dry summer continues.

Wellington’s water supply rivers are flowing at roughly a quarter of normal February levels. The Wainuiomata Water Treatment Plant, one of three serving the region’s four cities, may have to be closed within a week due to a shortage of water.

“Rain showers over recent days have been too light to improve the situation,” Wellington Water’s Operations Manager, Noel Roberts, said.

“Our water sources are already stressed. If we are down a water treatment plant as well, we would struggle to cope with high demand. We’d like to see water use less than 150 million litres per day now.”

Water use during the past week has averaged 155 million litres (ML) per day. Typical daily demand in winter is 130 ML/day. The highest demand so far this summer was 185 ML/day on Tuesday 27 January.

“We need people to ease back on their water use,” Mr Roberts said. “Fifteen litres each a day would do it (reducing demand by 6 ML/day)”.

“For a three-person home that’s roughly 1-2 minutes less each in the shower for example, or 3-4 minutes less hosing the garden.”

While garden watering is the main cause of higher water use during summer, there are easy things people can do to use a bit less water indoors as well as outside.

Water saving tips:
· Water by hand, close to the ground and at a rate the soil can absorb

· Put off non-essential outdoor jobs, like washing windows or the car, until autumn

· Sweep up garden waste instead of hosing it away

· Run a bit less water when filling the sink

· Take shorter showers

For more water saving tips visit www.gw.govt.nz/water

Alternate-day watering restrictions for sprinklers and irrigation systems are currently in effect in Upper Hutt, Porirua, Lower Hutt and Wellington. Extra restrictions will be introduced if demand doesn’t reduce.

ends

© Scoop Media