Tauranga City Council to introduce 'significantly stronger' water restrictions

Tauranga City Council is preparing to get tough on water usage as the city's water sources run low. Photo / Getty

Tauranga is facing year-round water restrictions of varying severity, as the city council gives itself more power and flexibility to fight a looming water shortage.

Details about the "significantly stronger" rules were revealed in a report presented to commissioners this week but some specifics are yet to be released.

Tauranga City Council commissioners approved changes to the organisation's Water Conservation Strategy in a meeting on Monday. The strategy was amended to allow restrictions to be imposed "on a proactive basis" rather than responding to specific water measures that can take several days to acquire.

In a strategy update report presented to commissioners, council team leader of water services Peter Bahrs said December to March would result in a "significantly stronger set of restrictions aimed at suppressing water use" over high-demand periods to enable the council to maintain source water stream levels.

The months of April and November would have minor restrictions, and for May to October a restriction that "recognises the importance and value of water" in the community was likely.

The restrictions were to come into effect from December 1 but these could be extended beyond March if needed.

Bahrs said the new rules were based on the effectiveness of previous water restrictions, the situation with the city's depleting water sources, lessons learned from Australian councils managing water shortages and feedback from Watercare Services on a recent water shortage in Auckland.

After the meeting, when asked what the specific restrictions for each timeframe were, a council communications spokeswoman speaking for Bahrs said these were not available but were expected to be released later this week.

The news follows last week's revelation that Tauranga was in line for its worst water shortage in recent history as streams that supply the city's drinking water run low.

Last summer, a sprinkler ban was in place for 187 days - running from December to June - compared to just 60 days the year before and 54 days the year before that.

Tauranga City Council commissioner Shadrach Rolleston. Photo / George Novak

On Monday Bahrs told commissioners bringing in "higher restrictions", particularly over summer, allowed the city a better chance to meet water demands before April when the council could "back off".

"By then we will have a clear idea of how the community responds," he said.

"The idea is that we try to build an ongoing behavioural change to get people to value water and use it more wisely."

He said the council was effectively "giving notice so that people can understand what's coming from December 1 to March".

Tauranga City Council commission chairwoman Anne Tolley. Photo / George Novak

If the new restrictions were not enough to maintain adequate levels in the city's water sources, or to maintain water use below treatment capacity, or if there was an event that impacted the council's ability to provide water such as a major pipe breakage, the updated plan would move into an emergency phase "where all discretionary outdoor water use would be banned".

In this instance, industrial and commercial water users would be asked to further reduce their water consumption until issues are resolved, the report stated.

In the meeting, Bahrs said the commission would be updated on the water situation monthly.

Commission chairwoman Anne Tolley said: "If it's not going to plan we would rather know sooner rather than later."

"The hot weather from over the weekend was really hot. If we are in for a summer like that, it's going to be more difficult than anticipated."

A NIWA seasonal outlook for November to January predicts higher than normal temperatures for the Bay of Plenty, with normal rainfall.

More information, including the details of the incoming restrictions, is expected to be available on the council's website later this week.

Where does Tauranga's water supply come from?
- Tauranga's water supply comes from two spring-fed streams, the Tautau and Waiorohi, and is treated at plants in Ōropi and Joyce Rd. Water flow, particularly in the Tautau, has been at a low level and has not recovered.
- A third water treatment plant is being built along the Waiāri Stream in Te Puke to help cater for demand, particularly for the growing Pāpāmoa and Te Tumu strip.
According to the council 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.