Temuka/Winchester water restrictions eased

The restrictions on outside water use for households in Temuka and Winchester have been eased from today.

Outdoor water usage had been restricted to enable the operation of the filtering plant to reduce the asbestos content of the water following an issue with the water main serving the town.

From tonight:

- People in even numbered houses can use a handheld hose for maximum of 30 mins between 9pm and 11pm on even numbered days. (houses 2,4,6,8, etc, etc)

- People in odd numbered houses can do the same on odd numbered days. (houses 1,3,5,7, etc, etc)

- If it's your day you can also have a sprinkler running between 11pm that night and 5am the following morning. Having a timer can really help with this.

Ashley Harper, Group Manager Infrastructure said that now that the filtration plant was bedded in and working well it was a good opportunity to offer people some opportunity to water their gardens during periods of low demand.

“Our first priority was to ensure that the filter plant was in place to provide water for necessary uses. Now that the plant is working well at current peak periods, we are enabling people to use this non-peak capacity at night to water their gardens.

“People in Temuka and Winchester have been doing a fantastic job so far, and despite the fact we are easing the rules a little, it’s important that people still follow them to ensure that the supply remains available for essential uses during the day.”

The next step in finding a permanent solution to the issue is an extraordinary meeting of the Council on Friday 12 January at 9am, where they will discuss and decide on the options available to remedy the issue.

Information outlining the next steps will be delivered to all households in Temuka.

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