Toughest water restrictions possible imposed on Northland town as big dry bites

The town of Dargaville, along with nearby Baylys Beach, can only use water for essentials. Photo / NZME

Tinder-dry conditions mean the toughest water restrictions possible have been introduced in Northland’s Dargaville and Baylys Beach.

Kaipara District Council imposed the level-four water restrictions on Tuesday, which means town supply water can only be used for essential use, like drinking and cleaning, and not outdoors.

Water deliverers have also been told they cannot fill up from the town supply, leaving rural households whose rainwater tanks have run dry to source water from outside the district, at a cost of hundreds of dollars.

The tanker restrictions are unfair as residents should have access to clean drinking water as a human right, said Dargaville Ratepayers & Residents Association chairwoman Rose Dixon.

“We aren’t living in a Third World country, after all. But when basics like water become inaccessible, it starts to feel a little bit that way.”

With water restrictions happening every year, residents and ratepayers want a proper, long-term solution, Dixon said.

Council chief executive Jason Marris agreed the restrictions are “pretty tough”.

“It’s essential use only – you may not use town water anywhere outside. I acknowledge this is a significant restriction on everybody,” he said in a social media video.

The council is trying to find a long-term solution to the problem of water security for Dargaville and Baylys Beach, Marris said.

While the area usually has some form of water restriction each summer, this season has been particularly bad, he said.

It is the second time in the last 10 years a level-four water restriction has been imposed in Dargaville and Baylys Beach, with the last one in 2020.

Dargaville Ratepayers & Residents Association chairwoman Rose Dixon says a long-term solution to the water scarcity is needed. Photo / Denise Piper

A medium-scale drought in Northland was declared by the Government on Friday for the Waikato, Horizons and Marlborough-Tasman regions, due to the dry conditions faced by farmers.

But the southwest of Northland has been particularly dry, according to Northland Regional Council’s February climate report, released on Tuesday.

Less than 5mm of rain fell in Dargaville and Kai Iwi Lakes in February, less than 10% of the expected rainfall for the month. The Poutō Peninsula and Ruawai received less than 10mm, along with Cape Rēinga in the Far North.

The lack of rain means it is common for homes on rainwater tanks and farmers to run out of water and need a top-up, said Simone Nordstrom from Harrison Contracting.

“I can’t remember when the last decent rainfall has been, but it’s been a few months. It’s a bit more common for people, this far into a drought, to be running out of water.”

Water tankers are no longer able to use the Dargaville town supply to deliver water to farms and rural households. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The Dargaville-based trucking and contracting business offers water deliveries in the height of summer to help service the community, where a lot of people are not on town supply, Nordstrom said.

Harrison Contracting had been doing three to six water deliveries a day, with most customers charged around $250 to $350, depending on their location.

But the company was told it could not fill up its water tankers from the town supply from Wednesday on, due to the level-four restrictions, Nordstrom said.

There is no viable alternative water source for Harrison Contracting, with Kaipara District Council suggesting it register with Whangārei District Council so it can fill up from that council’s Maungatapere water supply, about 45km away, she said.

This would be a huge expense to customers, as most of the costs in a water delivery is from mileage and the driver’s time, as opposed to the water, Nordstrom said.

The company has already fielded distressing calls from people who have run dry, she said.

“From our point of view, it’s disappointing that we can’t provide our community with water at a time of need.”

Water deliverer Maungatapere Transport confirmed a water delivery from Maungatapere to Dargaville would cost about $600 and up to $800 to areas further afield, such as Kai Iwi Lakes.

Long-term solutions could cost up to $17m

Kaipara District Council said there are a number of water suppliers in Kaipara and neighbouring regions who can supply water to residents on private water supply.

The council will have an update very soon on a long-term plan to increase resilience of Dargaville’s water supply, with staff acknowledging the town is set to grow due to recent private plan changes.

This includes the Awakino Precinct private plan change, allowing up to 384 new homes, and a private plan change for Dargaville Racecourse, allowing up to 450 new homes.

In December, when water restrictions started in the area, Marris said while the council had been investigating water storage, the issue got tied up with the Three Waters legislation, which would have seen the costs taken over by a giant inter-regional organisation.

When the coalition Government disestablished Three Waters in December 2023, responsibility for drinking water supply fell back on the council.

Marris said the council is now investigating two options: connecting to the Government-backed Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust dam on the Poutō Peninsula or upgrading the council’s Waiatua Dam on Opanake Rd, north of Dargaville.

Both options are estimated to cost between $16 million and $17m, he said.

Meanwhile, Marris encouraged residents to report any water leaks, which can increase in drought conditions due to the soil shrinking and putting extra pressure on water pipes. Leaks can be reported to 0800-727-059.

He also reminded residents of the complete fire ban covering all of Northland.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.