Water cuts proceed in Tasman

Friday's brief rainfall in the Waimea area has had no effect on today's planned introduction of water restrictions in Tasman district.

The first stage of water rationing in the Waimea Plains is now in place. Flows in the Waimea River have now dropped to 2100 litres per second – down from 2300 litres early on Friday, which was just below the trigger for rationing, said Tasman District Council dry weather taskforce convenor Dennis Bush-King.

He said the 5.5mm of rain on Friday increased the river flow to 3500 litres per second at the trigger point in the Wairoa Gorge, but it was short-lived.

"Basically, the small amount of rain has had no effect. We are planning another meeting tomorrow, but we have reached the end of summer and the generally moist soil conditions are quite low," Mr Bush-King said.

The affected water permit holders, which include irrigators, will have to reduce their take by 20 per cent.

Rostering has also been introduced in the Riwaka water management zone and restrictions are already in place in Takaka, affecting the two salmon farms and a small number of irrigators who take water from the Takaka River.

Restrictions do not apply to permit holders in the Wai-iti water management zone because water has been under controlled release from the Wai-iti Dam since last week.

Hosing restrictions have also been introduced in Richmond, Mapua, Ruby Bay, Brightwater, Hope, Tapawera and Wakefield and the rural water supply schemes of Redwood Valley and Dovedale.

In these areas, only hand-held hosing is permitted on odd and even calendar days corresponding to house street numbers, and owners of private domestic wells also are allowed to water gardens only every second day.

The Motueka Plains were in good shape but the Motupiko Valley was drying and would be reviewed this week, Mr Bush-King said.

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