A total ban on domestic sprinklers is likely to be enforced in Hamilton from this afternoon as council officials grapple with rising water use and ongoing fine weather.

Council communication manager Tracy Buckland said the alert level is reviewed every day, but due to high usage in the past week - around 75m litres per day - it's ''highly likely'' to go to alert level three.

That would dictate a total ban on domestic sprinklers - only hand held hosing would be permitted. There would also be a restriction on outdoor water use for commercial/non-residential properties.

Officials are waiting on the weekend's water use figures before they make a decision, Ms Buckland said. She's expecting the announcement in the early afternoon. A publicity campaign will kick into gear if the alert level is increased from two to three.

The final alert level, four, would mean a total ban on all external non essential water use and a restriction on all external water use for commercial/non-residential properties.Weatherwise, there's no respite from the big dry in sight.

MetService is forecasting sun and no rain for at least the next ten days as one large high pressure system lines up to replace the last. Temperatures over that period are expected to be in the high 20s with night time temperatures in the low teens.

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