It was another hot, dry day in Auckland yesterday, with a high of 26C. The next few days are forecast to bring similar highs and rain is not expected until Monday.
Getting water to animals was a priority, Ms Bullock said. Swimming pool levels had dropped because of evaporation, which caused cleaning and filtration systems to shut down.
A1, which delivers to the Kaukapakapa, Kumeu, Helensville, South Head areas, was experiencing unusually high demand.
"We've never ever been booked like this. At the moment, nobody can get water until Sunday and a lot of companies are two weeks behind. It's not as bad as the 2011 drought, but we're heading there unless we get significant rain," she said.
Average orders for 10,000 litres cost up to $175 but many customers did not fill their entire 25,000-litre tanks, hoping it would rain so they would not need the tanker back a fortnight later.
Geotechnical engineer Gareth Williams, of Engineering Design Consultants, said the weather was causing some houses to move on their foundations and he knew of problems on the North Shore, in Grey Lynn and Westmere.
Worst affected were brick veneer-clad houses, usually built in the 1960s, because the soil was drying out causing movement which exhibited itself as cracking in the mortar.
Corners of buildings could crack and new foundations or piles had to be laid.
The Herald reported yesterday that Niwa data showed Auckland had just 6mm out of a normal 61mm of rain so far this month, Kaitaia had just 4mm out of a normal 89mm, Tauranga 4mm compared with 78mm and Hamilton 11mm instead of 82mm.
The MetService said a large, slow-moving high was covering New Zealand and directing a humid easterly flow over the north of the North Island.
Rain is forecast next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before hot and dry conditions return on Thursday and Friday.
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