The Far North District Council plans to pipe water from Lake Ōmāpere as the drought continues in Northland. Photo / Supplied
The Far North District Council plans to pipe water from Lake Ōmāpere as the drought continues in Northland. Photo / Supplied
Kaitaia and Kaikohe residents could soon be drinking water from temporary water supplies, in a measure to ease pressure on critically low-running rivers.
Far North District Council expects to gain sign-off from the Northland District Health Board early next week to allow the council to supply drinking water from LakeŌmāpere near Kaikohe and the Sweetwater aquifer in Kaitaia.
The temporary measure to pipe water from the two water sources is because of the ongoing drought in Northland which was declared by the Government a month ago and follows the Government's $2 million boost from the Provincial Growth Fund.
A council spokesman said a pump and pipeline installed at the lake last week were now operational. The council had also finalised a solution for treating the lake water, which was susceptible to algal blooms.
"We anticipate gaining sign-off from the DHB ... early next week and are hopeful we can then start using the new water sources," he said.
Flows in Wairoro stream are up again, and flows in the Awanui river are holding steady, after recent rain. But both rivers are still critically low and operating below consented flow rates.
"It is important to note that we are still in a drought and will be asking people to continue reducing water by 25 per cent when we start drawing water from supplementary sources," the council spokesman said.
Work to install a pipeline to draw water from the Sweetwater bore. Photo / File
Many towns in the Far North still have tough level 4 water restrictions in place, meaning water can only be used for essential cooking, drinking and washing.
Along with Kaikohe and Kaitaia, the strictest restrictions are in place in Omanaia-Rawene, Paihia-Waitangi-Opua and Kawakawa-Moerewa, as well as Dargaville in the Kaipara.
And while the forecast for Northland shows rain on the way next Tuesday and Wednesday, MetService meteorologist April Clark said there was "still some uncertainty" around that.
"The low midweek could bring decent rain; there's certainly a chance, but it's not guaranteed. How much rain is uncertain; it could be heavy rain or it could be scattered."
There was also a chance of isolated showers on the east coast of Northland this weekend, "but nothing huge", Clark said.
The most significant rainfall in Northland in the past 24 hours was 1.5mm at Pouto Point and 0.2mm in Dargaville and Kaikohe.
"It's definitely not enough to break, or ease, the drought".
