Andrew Kevey of Water 2 Go is doing seven loads a day as demand for water surges at a time of insufficient rain.
Photo/John Stone
Andrew Kevey of Water 2 Go is doing seven loads a day as demand for water surges at a time of insufficient rain.
Photo/John Stone
Tinder dry conditions across Northland are poised to get worse as a latest climate report predicts the status quo to largely remain the same at least for the next few months.
With just half of the normal rainfall in places like Whangārei so far this month, territorial authorities are advisingpeople to use water wisely as demand during the holiday period rises.
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) predicts rainfall to be near average, soil moisture and river flows below average, and temperature above average in Northland until the end of February.
It said a potential transition from westerly winds in December to northeasterly quarter winds later in the summer could impact seasonal rainfall in early summer and it may be drier for the second half of the quarter.
Between 1am on December 1 and 2pm yesterday, Whangārei received 44.8mm of rain, Kaikohe 55.6mm, Kerikeri 58.6mm, Kaitaia 55.9mm, and Dargaville 48.6mm.
Niwa forecasting principal scientist Chris Brandolino said although there wasn't officially a drought in Northland, ground conditions in places remained "very dry".
He said the region would receive between 24mm and 48mm of rain until mid next week which should be a huge help but wouldn't be a "game changer".
"Northland is expected to have near normal rainfall in the next quarter and potentially the second half of this quarter has a bit of a greater chance for some wet weather.
"After a week and a half of some rain - which will buy time in that farmers can save water and fill up their tanks and will help the ground to recharge - dryness will have an upper hand through to the start of the new year," Brandolino said.
In Whangārei, the water level at Wilsons Dam in Ruakaka has plummeted to 80 per cent compared with the same time last year when it was at or near full.
With water level down to 80 percent, Wilsons Dam has yet to recover from dry winter and a lack of rain.
Photo/John Stone
Water restrictions start to kick in when the dam level reaches 60 per cent or below while there's limited water supply when it gets below 30 per cent.
Whangārei District Council asset engineer-water Diana Staveley said the dam, which holds nearly 2.5 million cu m of water, hasn't recovered yet from the dry winter and low rainfall in November.
"Bream Bay and Whangārei residents are fortunate that we have the large storage dams and several other sources, rivers and springs, so there a very low likelihood of restrictions.
"Yet, we should always be mindful as water scarcity will be a risk in the future as the climate continues to change," Staveley said.
The smaller Whau Valley Dam with 1.8 million cu m of water was at 93 per cent capacity yesterday afternoon.
Northlanders dependent on water supply from Wilsons Dam have been urged to start conserving water now.
Photo/John Stone
The Kaipara and Far North District councils are also calling on residents to start conserving water to ensure there is sufficient for everyone when the demand is at its peak.
Water carriers in the mid and Far North are struggling to keep up with demand which they expect to continue well after New Year.
Kaikohe Water Supplies owner/operator Frank Veldhuizen has been doing between six and seven deliveries every day and said demand was "right across the board".
He services mid-north areas of Kaikohe, Kohukohu, Waimamaku, Opononi, Waimate North, Kawakawa, and Waiomio and said rain earlier in this week was a huge relief.
Six weeks ago, the FNDC told him he had to draw water from Moerewa rather than Kaikohe after groundwater levels became low.
FNDC has tightened water restrictions for households and businesses, banning garden hoses, sprinklers or any irrigation devices, water blasting and filling swimming pools.
Unlike Whangārei, FNDC sources raw water from rivers, streams and aquifers which are very vulnerable to dry conditions.
"Taking water from Moerewa affects delivery time and cost. It takes an extra hour and a half to deliver to households. The demand is probably the same as last summer which was long as we were still delivering water up until April," Veldhuizen said.
Tania Yates from Coolstar Kaitaia Water Carriers said although there were good showers on Monday morning, they were insufficient to fill a tank.
"On average, we carry 15 loads a day from Hokianga to Cape Reinga but the most demand is around the east coast ... areas like Ahipara, Whatuwhiwhi, and Mangonui which are the driest."
Northlanders should start conserving water as the tinder dry conditions are forecast to continue for a few more weeks.
Photo/John Stone
Yates said she has four trucks running over summer, including two used for general cartage but diverted elsewhere depending on the demand for services.
She said there were houses, particularly around Whangarei, that were made to wait for up to one week for water carriers to turn up due to the demand.
Andrew Kevey of Water 2 Go in Whangārei has had to put off filling up swimming pools to focus on supplying households.
He's doing seven loads a day and said the demand was probably the same or greater compared with last summer.
It costs about $350 to deliver 10,000 litres of water around Whangarei but Kevey said areas like Oakura would cost about $600 per trip.
Top tips to save water • Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving • Wait until you have a full load of washing or make sure you set the machine for smaller loads • Flush the toilet less often • Soak your garden once every few days rather than giving it a quick drink every night • Install a water-saving shower head
