Water - we need to be worried
Morrinsville resident Bob Hewitt is a man who doesn’t tend to worry about too many things.
But there’s something he believes we should all be concerned about - water and having an adequate supply of it.
The former dairy farmer knows a thing or two about how important it is to have a reliable water supply.
‘‘It’s the most precious thing we have, nothing can survive without adequate amounts of water.’’
Water is an election issue, Hewitt said.
‘‘I’m not saying that we could end up with a situation like what’s happening in Hawke’s Bay at the moment, but we have to be prepared,’’ he said.
He attended a public meeting at the Morrinsville Museum to voice his concerns, which were welcomed by a number of district councillors.
Hewitt thinks each house needs to have a water storage tank installed, with it being mandatory for all new homes in Morrinsville.
While it’s a good thing that the council is investing $4.6 million to build a new water reservoir, it’s also a good idea for the council to look at keeping the old one, he said.
Two summers ago at the height of a severe drought, the situation was dire.
‘‘Ever since we moved here (to Morrinsville) there have been water restrictions put in place during Summer,’’ he said.
The council, in its latest report on the town’s water supply situation, acknowledged there is insufficient water storage for Morrinsville and no scope for future population growth.
Its research also showed that installing a new 83000m3 capacity tank did not mean it would safeguard the town against seasonal drought periods.
‘‘The new reservoir will increase the availability of water for major emergencies, however it will not alleviate water restrictions due to prolonged dry weather.’’
Mr Hewitt said if people had the option of installing their own water storage tanks, for things like watering their gardens and cleaning their cars, it would take some of the pressure off the town’s water supply.
‘‘It’s no good waiting until we run out of water,’’ he said.
‘‘We need to be planning for this especially in Morrinsville, instead of panicking when the you know what hits the fan.’’