It’s hot, it’s dry, so now’s the time to be thinking about how much water we’re using around the home.
It’s been a couple of years since the phrase “water restrictions” has reared its head as the past two summers have been relatively wet.
But we’ve had a long dry spell and there’s not a great deal of rain forecast for the next couple of weeks.
The biggest impact of dry spells is on our water treatment plants. When it’s hot and dry people generally use more water – filling swimming pools, watering gardens and the like.
Demand can get to a point where out treatment plants struggle to keep up with demand – i.e. the more water is used at home or at work, the more the treatment plants have to treat for supply.
For people connected to our water supply network, water meters have played a big part in managing water demand – effectively it’s a user pays system – the less water you use, the small your water bill will be.
But restrictions do help manage demand when needed and today, from 11 February, the southern part of our district who are supplied by Hamilton City Council move into a Water Alert Level 1 situation.
All that means is that people in the Tauwhare, Gordonton, Tamahere, Maatangi, Newstead, and Eureka areas should only use water sprinklers from 6am to 8am and 6pm to 8pm only.
Appropriate signage will be put up in that area next week to help spread the word.
The rest of the district has no restrictions currently, but the community is still encouraged to conserve water use.
Here are some tips to help you use water wisely:
- Always use a twist or trigger nozzle when using your hose.
- Water your garden in the early morning or the evening to avoid evaporation
- Use a timer with your sprinkler or irrigation system and be mindful of where you position it so that you are watering plants, not paved areas.
- Use a cover on permanent and portable pools to prevent evaporation and use appropriate chemicals to keep the water fresh.
- Use a broom and/or bucket instead of a hose to clean hard surfaces such as footpaths and driveways.
- Wash your car/boat/caravan on an area of lawn where possible, and try and use a bucket and sponge rather than a hose where possible.
- Shorten your shower – it saves water and reduces power costs.
- If your children like to play under the sprinkler, or have toys that attach to the hose, use a timer and don’t forget to turn the water off at the end.
