A sprinkler ban begins at 9am today Wednesday 30 January following peak water usage combined with a hot, dry weather forecast. Tauranga City Council is asking residents to stop using all garden sprinklers and irrigation systems until further notice.
Residents can continue to water their gardens, by hand-held hose or watering can at the cooler times of day, between 5am and 8am, and from 7pm to 10pm.
City Waters Manager Steve Burton said that Tauranga residents’ efforts to conserve water have enabled restrictions to be held off so far.
“We’ve made it this far into summer thanks to residents’ efforts, but with temperatures climbing further recently we’ve seen water use jump again”, said Mr Burton.
“With no rain on the horizon we now need to place a ban on the use of sprinklers”, he said.
The city’s current water demand is up by 30% on normal average water use. Average usage is about 40 million litres per day and the current demand is over 52 million litres per day.
“There’s a limit to the amount of drinking water we are able to process in a day and recently we’ve been getting close to that limit on a daily basis”, Mr Burton said.
“There’s enough to go around if everyone does their bit to conserve water, especially when it comes to watering the garden. Small changes in how we use water around the house can have a big impact in the long run.”
Restrictions on garden sprinklers and irrigation systems aim to reduce outdoor water use to avoid the need for more stringent restrictions.
Tauranga City Council is investing $115 million in the development of a new water supply that will meet the future needs of Tauranga and the wider Western Bay of Plenty, and provide relief for summer water demands from 2021.
Check out our further information page for tips on water conservation in and around the house.
To report water leaks or breaches to water restrictions, phone 07 577 7000.