Holiday water use tanks
There was no sign of the ban on residential sprinklers and irrigation systems being lifted.
Wellington’s precariously low water reserves were partially saved by a mass exodus of holidaymakers.
Water usage dropped sharply over the Christmas and New Year period and utilities company Wellington Water is crediting the large number of people leaving the region and sustained conservation efforts over the past month.
Water usage in the region was 151 million litres a day on January 4. 160 million litres is considered a sustainable rate in summer.
On November 29 usage peaked at 180 million litres while Christmas Day and Boxing Day dropped to 128 million and 125 million litres per day, respectively.
The decrease in water usage around the holiday period was noticeable every year, said Wellington Water marketing and communications adviser Megan Thomas.
An unusually hot and dry November and December forced the region to tap into reserves at the Te Marua storage lakes early.
‘‘[The reserves] are kept for when we get into the peak of summer. We don’t usually tap into them until February or March.’’
There was no sign of the ban on residential sprinklers and irrigation systems being lifted.
Thomas said people had taken the water conservation message on board and Wellington Water had been buoyed by stories of people reusing water on their gardens.
Recent rain had also given the reserves a top up with one of the lakes now at 67 per cent capacity, up from 63 per cent on December 29; while the other lake is nearly full.
While pressure has been taken off Wellington’s water storage lakes, people seeking to keep cool in the region’s waterways are being reminded to remain vigilant.
The Greater Wellington Regional Council website water quality service showed warnings at South Beach in Plimmerton, Porirua Harbour and Waipoua River on Friday.
Ka¯piti Coast District Council reminded people using waterways to avoid swimming in them for 48 hours after last week’s heavy rain. Bacteria levels were likely to be high in some areas.