Auckland mayor Phil Goff said that the council is implementing the first stage of restrictions on water use to save the city's drought-stricken reserves.
Video / Michael Craig
Don't wash your car, water your garden or lawn, and take shorter showers are simple practices Aucklanders can put in place to conserve water.
Councillors yesterday voted unanimously to bring in stage 1 water restrictions from May 16, banning outdoor water use for households and parts of the commercial sector.
The Lower Nihotupu Dam in the Waitakere Ranges at less than 50 per cent of storage capacity on May 3. Photo / Watercare
Watercare has been given the power to impose fines of up to $20,000 for people who break the rules but they will largely be taking an "educational approach".
But to help Aucklanders evade the mammoth fine or a stern telling-off, WeatherWatch.co.nz has some advice about conserving water.
Mother Nature has taken over the duties of watering the lawns and gardens, so there is no need to get the hose out anymore.
Avoid water blasting the house or driveway - leave that for later in the year. Don't go washing your car either.
Ensure dishwashers are fully stacked or on economy mode and make sure you are doing bigger laundry loads.
People should be taking shorter showers and if you need to have a bath, don't fill the tub as high as you usually would.
WeatherWatch also suggests taking a page out of your childhood and sharing the same bathwater with other family members.
Water restrictions had been flagged for the past couple of weeks as a few rain showers hardly made an impact on dam levels.
Stage 1 restrictions also prohibit the watering of sports fields, plants or paddocks unless an irrigation system is fitted with soil moisture or rain sensors.
Car washes can only operate if they use recycled water.
Watercare chief executive Raveen Jaduram and Mayor Phil Goff introduce mandatory water restrictions. Photo / Michael Craig
"I want Aucklanders to remember that if we don't get it right and save water now, we will have to implement harder restrictions in the future and no one wants that," Goff says.
"I hope Aucklanders will understand the need to adhere to these measures, but if we have to, we have a range of enforcement options available for those who choose to ignore the restrictions."
None of the potential three stages restrict water for drinking or sanitary use in households, or operations that use water for health, safety, emergency and biosecurity measures.
Non-residential and commercial restrictions at stage 2 will be similar, but will also ban all watering of sports fields.
"The mandatory restrictions will highlight water conservation overall," Goff says.
"By everyone saving a little, we can save many millions of litres of water and avoid the need to move to more draconian restrictions under stage 3, should winter and spring not bring enough rainfall."
Niwa meteorologist Ben Noll says Auckland has been particularly hard hit with more than 77 consecutive days in drought or severe drought, according to the New Zealand Drought Index.
Noll says the weather forecast from May to July is for near or below-normal levels of rainfall in Auckland.
