Tauranga City Council city waters manager Steve Burton said despite it being only the start of summer, the early onset of hot and dry weather, and growing population meant the city's water supply was under increasing pressure.
"These restrictions aim to reduce water consumption so that we can delay, or avoid altogether, the need for more stringent restrictions later.
"Over the past two weeks, the city's water use has increased by more than 10 per cent from about 46 to 51 million litres, and is up by about 10 million litres from the same time last year," he said
"While it is tempting to turn on the sprinklers and rush to fill up our pools, it is essential we all play our part to conserve water now so we will all be better off in the long run."
Hilary Zapata, who lives in Selwyn St in the central city, said the ban "made perfect sense" to her given how dry it was and the lack of rain.
Zapata said she always had conserved water by only watering her garden three times a week after sunset with a watering can because that was the best time to do so.
"When I'm away working in Hamilton my neighbour waters the garden for me once a week, also with a watering can," she said.
"This ban is the impact of climate change. Water is a precious commodity, and everyone has to respect the restrictions because we don't want to run out of water.
"People need to give credence to climate change because if we don't conserve water now, we'll all be in lots of trouble," she said.
Another Selwyn St neighbour, Aly McDonald, said she and her partner, Scott Blake, who worked for water services contractor Veolia, agreed.
"We definitely have no difficulties with the restrictions which makes sense because everyone relies on water and we all need to do our bit."
Another Selwyn St resident cleaning his car with a hose yesterday said the ban "had to happen" and he had no difficulties with doing his bit.
The resident, who did not wish to be named, said he never watered his garden in the heat of the day and reducing water consumption during the summer made sense.
Burton said planning for a new water supply was underway.
The Waiari Water Supply Scheme was designed to help meet the future water supply needs of Tauranga and the wider Western Bay of Plenty. Construction would start in 2018 and was expected to be completed in 2021.
Tauranga City Council suggestions for using less water:
Kitchen
- Check for leaks and fix any leaking taps, pipes or cisterns.
- Make sure the dishwasher is full before you use it.
- Scrape dirty dishes rather than rinsing.
- Don't wash the dishes or scrub vegetables with the water running. Put the plug in and run some water into the sink.
Bathroom
- Turn off the tap while shaving or brushing your teeth.
- Take shorter showers. Quick showers use less than quarter of the water used in a bath.
- Only fill the tub with as much water as required.
Garden
- Water early morning or evening, as lots of water evaporation occurs in heat of day.
- Water the highest parts of the garden first; any runoff will go to the lower dry areas.
- Mulch, mulch, mulch! Can prevent up to 75 per cent evaporation loss, prevents runoff, and keeps the soil cool.
- Dig a small trench around trees to help retain water.
- Turn the hose off when moving around your property.
- Dig the soil – well-turned aerated soil will absorb water easily.
Outside
- Install covers on pools and spas to reduce water evaporation.
- Use a bucket to wash your car rather than a hose.
- Use a broom, not a hose, to clean paths.
Source: TCC website
