Residents of Levin, Tokomaru and Shannon are being urged to reduce or stop using water immediately as the evening water use peak nears.

Due to the most recent rainfall event, the water treatment plants located in Levin, Shannon and Tokomaru are struggling to effectively treat the muddy river water for our drinking water supplies.

Levin, Tokomaru and Shannon Water Treatment Plant reservoirs are at critical levels, this means water storage levels are at critically low levels, the community demand e.g. residents and businesses connected to both town water supplies is exceeding what the treatment plant can deliver. A substantial increase in reservoir levels is required for water reduction notices to be removed.

If residents don’t act to reduce water usage or stop completely if they’re able, there is a real risk that the water supply will run-out and the community will need to rely on bottled water or water tanker supplies to service their minimum requirements. With the Levin Water Treatment Plant servicing over 16,000 people, the continued reduction of usage is required.

At approximately 6pm every night, there is a clear trend of increased usage, this is known as the evening peak. This peak occurs when residents have returned from work and are preparing dinner or bathing children etc. Council is hoping that residents’ do their part to reduce the evening peak by reducing water usage.

District Mayor Bernie Wanden said, Think of it as a night off the dishes, bathing children, or doing the washing. Let us all band together to reduce our water usage so we don’t see the usual peak this evening, but instead see our water reservoir levels increase.

I want to thank you for your actions so far; by acting as quick as we have we have seen the reservoir levels in both Shannon and Levin incrementally increase as the day has progressed.

However, we’re not out the woods and need to get to optimal reservoir levels which could take between 27 and 48 hours. We need you to continue with your efforts to reduce or stop using water if you can. This will reduce the demand on the water treatment plants and allow water storage levels to increase.

We know it’s not an ideal situation, but we want to avoid the worst case scenario, which is no water for residents. We’re not shutting off your water, we’re asking you to help us reduce your usage, or if you’re lable to stop water usage completely.

We’re comfortable that education providers are not placing strain on the water supply, therefore, you can continue to operate as normal. However, please encourage students and staff to be reduce water usage where possible, e.g. no water play and reduce the time the taps are on.

Council has arranged for the Tokomaru water treatment plant reservoirs to be manually filled to avoid critical levels being reached. Residents are encouraged to reduce water usage.

Although the water is safe to drink, to reduce the demand on the supply water tankers have been brought in to provide an additional supply of drinking water in Levin and Shannon at the locations below; the community will need to bring their own clean water containers for filling.

Shannon: Public toilets, Ballance Street until 5pm (28 June)

Levin: Levin Performing Arts Centre, Queen Street East, Levin until 6:30pm (28 June)
Carpark on the corner of Salisbury Street and Bath Street until 6:30pm (28 June)

It is likely that this water conservation notice will continue for at least 48 hours.

Ways to conserve water:

• If it’s yellow, let it mellow
• Don’t do your dishes
• Don’t use your dishwasher
• Don’t use your washing machine
• Don’t use your bath
• Don’t shower, or shower sparingly
• If you shower, take a bucket with you to fill your toilet up for flushing
• Cook without water is possible e.g. spaghetti on toast

More water saving tips can be found on the Ministry of Health website. Search ‘saving water during water shortage’

We’re asking the community to share this messaging far and wide, if you need to call your family or visit your neighbours to deliver the message, please do so.

Council thanks the community for their patience and cooperation.

Please use Council’s website and Facebook page for official updates and help Council get the message out by sharing.

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