Strict water rules loom for summer
Palmerston North could be facing stricter hosing controls within a week, after imposing the first level of hosing restrictions as the impact of a warm, dry November starts to bite.
And Horowhenua District is tightening its water restrictions just days after bringing in level one controls in some towns and advising water conservation in others.
Palmerston North City Council water assets engineer Dora Luo said it was 24 days since the Turitea storage dam stopped spilling, and the water level was down to 80cm below the top.
And despite the introduction of water restrictions, consumption was soaring during the evening peak.
On Thursday night, the evening peak soared from about 3200 cubic metres between 7pm and 9pm, to 4000 cubic metres.
‘‘So that’s an extra 800 cubic metres more going on to gardens.’’
During those hours, half of the city’s households should have been observing the alternate day rule and not using their sprinklers or other unattended hoses.
Luo said some people had been reporting others who were using sprinklers on the wrong days, and the council would send messages to those people about the breaches, and would follow up to ensure they stuck to the rules.
There was no move to tighten restrictions yet, but Luo said the situation was being monitored.
Long term forecasts suggested there was a possibility of some rain in the middle of the week, but she was not confident it would amount to much.
If the dam level dropped to 1 metre below the top, the council would be seriously considering level two water restrictions, banning the use of sprinklers.
Luo said the city would have been in a better position to face a long, dry summer if two new water bores at Papaioea Park and Railway Rd had been commissioned.
‘‘But it’s taking time, and it puts pressure on the current supply.’’
Luo said some residents were sending messages that they wanted the council to increase the height of the dam, or build a new dam.
‘‘But the city would have to be ready to pay a huge amount of money.
‘‘Our strategy is to focus on groundwater for the next few years of growth.’’
Horizons Regional Council closely monitored groundwater supplies, and there had been no indications the city’s water take was causing any drop in groundwater supplies.
In Horowhenua, Shannon and Tokomaru have joined Levin in having level two water restrictions in place.
Foxton and Foxton Beach remain on level one.
Level Two restrictions meant garden sprinklers and soak hoses were banned, and hand-held hoses were only allowed on alternate days.
Hosing on paved areas was prohibited unless in an emergency, and washing windows or the car with a hose was banned.
Tougher restrictions were a prospect if forecasts of a warmer then usual summer were accurate.