Sprinkler ban lifted

The ban on sprinklers and irrigation systems in Porirua, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Wellington will be lifted tomorrow at9am (Tuesday 7 April 2015), following a recommendation to local councils from Wellington Water.

Wellington Water Operations Manager Noel Roberts says that due to a bit more rain, cooler weather, and the great public response to the water shortage, demand has dropped significantly.

“As the public got behind the water conservation message, demand dropped from our peak day of 185 million litres per day (ML/day) to around 130-150 ML/day. This drop has allowed us to limit the daily amount of water taken from the Macaskill water storage lakes to meet supply”.

“If we can keep demand to below 160 ML/day during summer, our rivers, aquifer and storage lakes can cope okay with low rainfall – as long as it rains occasionally.”

Noel says water users in Wellington, Lower Hutt, Porirua and Upper Hutt are to be congratulated for their water saving efforts. However, he urges people to continue saving water.

“Just because the sprinkler ban has been lifted doesn’t mean we can go for broke – it will take some time for our rivers to fully recover. Saving water shouldn’t just be something we do in times of drought, or when restrictions tell us we have to.”

Please note that alternate day watering restrictions remain in place in Upper Hutt year round.

Keep up the good work conserving water, outside as well as indoors. Even small steps help, like:

• fitting a trigger nozzle to your hose

• using a bucket of water and a soft sponge or mop for outdoor cleaning jobs

• sweeping up garden waste, rather than hosing it away

• fixing leaks promptly

• doing only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher

• taking shorter showers

About Wellington Water

Wellington Water is jointly owned by Greater Wellington Regional Council and the Hutt, Porirua, Upper Hutt and Wellington city councils.

It is a council controlled organisation, providing three waters network management services to its clients, who are also shareholders.

ENDS

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