No end in sight for Auckland water shortage

Auckland’s water shortage will not be alleviated in the next month, after six months of historically low rainfall.

Total water storage in Auckland’s dams is just below 60 per cent of capacity, well below the historic June average of 84 per cent.

Between 50mm and 80mm of rain was expected to fall today in the Hunua and Waitakere ranges dam catchment areas, Maxine Clayton of Watercare said yesterday.

“This is the only significant rainfall forecast for the whole month of July. Typically we see somewhere in the range of 200mm during July, so potentially we’re looking for a rain deficit of 250-375mm since January.”

The January-June period was the driest on record for much of Auckland, Northland and Waikato, according to MetService. July was expected to be wet but no more than normal for this time of year — and not enough to make up the deficit.

Auckland’s residents were asked on Tuesday to do their bit to save water and stave off the potential for water restrictions later in the year.

The last time mandatory water restrictions were imposed in Auckland was in 1993/94.

While Watercare’s dams provide about 60 per cent of the city’s water, it also has other resources, including the Waikato River and aquifers. There were fears that Tuesday’s massive sewage leak into Lake Taupo¯ , which feeds the Waikato, would further threaten Auckland’s water supply.

But Clayton said the Auckland Medical Officer of Health had confirmed it was safe to continue drawing water from the river.

“We are 400km from the leak. The wastewater will be fully diluted before it gets to our intake point in Tuakau, in a few days’ time, and it will have no impact on our water supply.” Watercare’s plant would then treat the water to AA grade standard.