Waste water today, lose it tomorrow

By ELIZABETH BINNING

Coromandel residents and holidaymakers are being warned to conserve water or have it turned off at certain times of the day.

Water conservation signs have been posted at various towns during the Coromandel's hottest and busiest time of the year.

In Hahei and Tairua there are complete restrictions, preventing people from using sprinklers and hand-held hoses at any time of the day or night.

In other towns, such as Whangamata and Pauanui, hoses are still allowed but sprinklers have been banned until further notice.

Thames Coromandel District Council spokesman Bruce Hinson said the huge influx of holidaymakers combined with very little rain during the past few weeks had put a huge strain on many small towns.

As a result, the supply has run low and some towns face running out of water if restrictions are not complied with.

However, in the towns where the restrictions are most needed, many people are unaware they even exist, despite big warning signs.

Several people the Herald spoke to, including staff at Tairua's information centre, had been watering their plants yesterday without any idea they were breaking the bylaw.

Others were aware of the ban but said they would continue to use hoses to water gardens which have been suffering in temperatures of more than 25C in recent days.

Mr Hinson said the volume of water being used in some towns, such as Tairua and Hahei, was higher than in previous holidays. The local streams that feed the supply reached very low levels in the past week when visitor numbers were at their peak.

Although many holidaymakers have now left the region, a large number of families remain and continue to draw on the limited water supply.

Mr Hinson said showers forecasted for today would help raise the levels, but not enough to bring them out of the caution zone, which is especially bad during the mornings and evenings when people are showering and eating.

"If people don't get on board with the restrictions then we will just get to the point where we will have to start shutting down the valves."

Mr Hinson said the bans would be reviewed on a daily basis but the district would probably not be out of danger for a least another week.

Wet weather meant there was no need for water restrictions in the Coromandel last year.

Mr Hinson said it was difficult and costly to fix a water supply problem which occurred for only two weeks of the year and only during a hot, dry summer.

Restrictions

* Complete sprinkler and hose ban: Hahei, Tairua.

* Sprinkler ban and partial hose ban: Whitianga (houses with even numbers can use hoses on days with even numbers. Odd numbered houses on odd numbered days).

* Sprinkler only ban: Matarangi, Pauanui, Onemana, Whangamata.

* No restrictions: Puriri, Matatoki, Thames, Coromandel.