Council pulls plug on water usage

Critical water shortages in Kaitaia, Opononi and Omapere have forced the Far North District Council to ban non-essential water uses.

The council announced on Friday that it is banning the use of commercial car washing facilities – both automated and do it yourself – truck washing facilities, waterblasters, hoses and garden irrigation systems.

It has also banned people from refilling or topping up swimming pools and washing cars, windows, houses, decks or paths with anything other than a bucket.

The ban only allows people to water lawns and gardens with household grey water.

Failure to comply with the prohibitions may result in enforced restrictions to business and residential water supplies and/or a fine of up to $20,000 upon conviction.

The bans came into force in Kaitaia yesterday and in Opononi and Omapere today.

Asset and infrastructure manager David Penny says the advertised prohibitions give the council the teeth it needs to restrict water and instigate legal
action against those who continue to do any of the activities on the list.

"We have additional warranted monitoring staff ready to go and they will be enforcing the bans from mid next week," he says.

"Unfortunately, there has continued to be little improvement in terms of meeting our voluntary 20 percent reduction target for water use in Kaitaia and we have given people long enough to make a difference if they were of the mind to do so."

Recent rain had caused a pleasing spike in Awanui River levels, but the benefit was destined to be very short-lived without further meaningful rain.

The river was running above the levels set out in the council’s resource consent to take water last Friday, but was expected to drop back to levels outside the terms of the consent this week if dry conditions prevailed.

The regional council had allowed the council to refill its reservoirs, which dropped sharply after a restriction to take only 2600 cubic metres per day was imposed, creating a daily 500 cubic metre shortfall between what the council could take from the river and what the community actually used.

The council is currently able to take 4000 cubic metres from the river because of the rain and this has eased the situation until the extraction limits are reviewed when the river levels drop again.

"We were in dire straits with only a week’s water in reserve," says Mr Penny.

"The situation has improved a little now, but may be short-lived, so we must bring Kaitaia’s water consumption down – voluntarily or by force."

The council is preparing a strategy based around water tankers, water containers and non-potable water should the worst happen and the reticulated water supply run out.

"We are working alongside the Northland Regional Council to keep the water flowing and hope that we will not have to face this worst scenario situation.

"Whatever happens though, we will make sure that water is available to the people of Kaitaia, even if it is in a very limited form."

The Opononi and Omapere water source at Waiotemarama Stream is also under extreme pressure and contingency plans are being developed so that water supplies can be maintained if it can no longer be used.

The council has reduced water pressure in Kaitaia, Opononi and Omapere, put up water restriction signs in the communities, and distributed posters and pamphlets within the three areas.

- © Fairfax NZ News