Free showerhead exchange hoped to ease Tauranga's water woes

The water efficient Stream showerhead, aimed at helping Tauranga tackle water woes. Photo / Supplied

Tauranga City Council is giving out 150 showerheads in a bid to find ways to reduce the strain on the growing city's water supply — and save residents money.

The council is offering the deal to households keen to take part in the 30-day trial that asks them to swap their showerhead using more than 12 litres of water a minute for a new version that uses nine litres per minute.

Council manager of water services Peter Bahrs said the showerheads would be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis to applicants who met the criteria needed.

Each person taking part will need to agree to complete a short survey, expected to be emailed about two weeks after they collect their new water-efficient showerhead.

Water use in this graph is reflected as a 'rolling' measure - daily numbers are expressed as a rolling average over seven days. Image / Supplied

The survey will also help the council track the effectiveness of the showerheads.

"[The council is] keen to receive feedback on the application and their shower experience using the new showerhead. In the application form, we ask what the flow rate of their current showerhead is, how long they spend in the shower, and questions about their shower experience," Bahrs said.

When the information is compared with the post-trial survey, the council "can then calculate water savings and get feedback on their shower experience with the new showerhead".

Bahrs said, on average, the council estimated a household of 2.5 people who switch to a low-use showerhead will save about 43,800 litres of water per year, "which equals $145.85 in water bill savings".

The council spent $5625 on the 150 showerheads.

"The showerhead will pay for itself in less than four months," Barhs said.

Tauranga has had months-long sprinkler bans in recent summers as streams that supplied the city's drinking water ran low.

Last summer, the city council brought in "significantly stronger" water restrictions in a bid to ease a looming record water shortage.

Last summer, the city council brought in "significantly stronger" water restrictions in a bid to prevent the looming water shortage.

Bahrs said the showerhead exchange was not directly related to increased summer demand, "however, any savings would contribute to reducing water demand year-round".

"Good water use habits are important at all times of the year and small changes at home in the kitchen, bathroom, and garden can make a big difference."

In a report presented to city commissioners in November, Bahrs said tighter water rules were needed over high-demand periods to enable the council to maintain water stream levels.

Tauranga City Council infrastructure general manager Nic Johansson. Photo / George Novak

The need for the community to recognise the importance and value of water was highlighted, and the new rules were based on how Australian councils managed water shortages as well as feedback from Watercare Services about an Auckland water shortage.

Bahrs said the council was trying to build on an ongoing behavioural change "to get people to value water and use it more wisely".

Council general manager of infrastructure Nic Johansson said at the time Tauranga's growth and development meant increased demand on water and "we are vulnerable and need to look at all the options".

Tauranga's water supply comes from two spring-fed streams, the Tautau and Waiorohi, and is treated at plants in Ōropi and Joyce Rd. Another plant is being built to treat water from the Waiāri Stream.

According to the council's website, the city uses an average of 42 million litres of water per day. In summer this can rise to 57 million litres per day.