Garden hose, sprinklers now limited to alternate days in Wellington areas

Water restrictions came into place overnight in Wellington, Lower Hutt and Porirua. Photo / Getty Images

By RNZ

Wellington city, Lower Hutt and Porirua have moved to water restrictions which will limit when residents can use sprinklers.

The three cities join Upper Hutt City and the South Wairarapa District on Level 1 restrictions, with the latter two being restricted all year round.

At Level 1, households were asked to use sprinklers every second day only between the hours of 6am and 8am and 7pm and 9pm.

Even-numbered houses were asked to use sprinklers on even-numbered dates and odd-numbered houses on odd-numbered dates.

Gardens could still be watered by hand at any time, provided hoses were not left unattended.

Wellington Water acting chief risk and compliance officer Erin Ganley said water restrictions began every year at the start of daylight saving, when warmer weather typically led to higher water use.

“Initial modelling shows that this year, the risk of tighter water restrictions has significantly reduced from previous years,” Ganley said.

She said increased investment from councils to reduce the backlog of leaks across the region and an increase in treatment capacity at the Te Mārua Water Treatment Plant meant this summer’s likelihood of Level 4 water restrictions (a significant water shortage) had dropped from 33% two summers ago, to less than 1% this year.

“That said, we are still waiting on the seasonal weather forecast from Earth Sciences NZ, which may increase the risk of restrictions if we experience a long, hot and dry summer,” Ganley said.

“Additionally, it’s important to remember that the increased demand over summer from outdoor usage puts pressure on the region’s supply, as we can only treat and supply a set amount of water each day.”

Per capita, Wellington was still a high user of water when compared to other large cities, Ganley said.

The Wellington region currently averaged about 220 litres per person per day – about 25% higher than Auckland.

During the summer months, watering gardens was one of the biggest contributors to the region’s water use increase.

“Many of us may not be aware of the amount of water that is used when undertaking outdoor activities such as watering the garden,” Ganley said.

“For example, running a hose for just 12 minutes can use as much water as one person’s total daily average use.”

Tips for smarter garden watering

• A thorough watering once or twice a week encourages strong root growth and drought resilience;
• Use drippers or directional sprinkler heads to ensure water goes where it’s needed – not on paths or fences;
• Mulching can reduce evaporation and cut watering needs by up to 70%.

Simple ways to save water include finding and fixing leaky taps, scraping plates instead of rinsing, turning off taps when brushing teeth, taking shorter showers and choosing water-efficient appliances.

– RNZ