Wasting water a turnoff for environment's future

By CATHERINE MASTERS

When was the last time you brushed your teeth and left the tap running?

Washed the car on the driveway?

Turned the sprinklers on in the garden then went out and forgot about them?

Reckless use of water at home adds up to not just money out of your pocket from the resulting water bill, but pressure on the environment.

It strains an already stressed infrastructure, clogs and poisons streams and waterways and can generally lead to a less healthy environment.

While the Auckland Regional Council says there is no hint of a drought right now, it also says we should be prepared for one just in case.

The MetService forecasts that a dry summer will continue in most parts of the country, with significant rain confined mainly to the south-west corner of the South Island.

Even if no drought occurs, people should get into the habit of conserving water at home because developing a conservation mindset makes them think about how their actions affect the environment in other ways, says the chairwoman of the ARC's environmental management committee, Councillor Patricia Thorp.

There is always the possibility of another drought, such as the one which gripped Auckland in 1994. And until the Waikato pipeline to Auckland is able to be used - and that could be some years away - the risk of running low on water is ever-present, says Lady Thorp.

But even when the pipeline and treatment station is complete, we should be careful about using water.

New Zealand already uses more than many other countries. "We all have this habit of thinking the rain's in the sky and it comes down and we turn the tap or push the button and the water flows."

But overseas water is in short supply and in a decade or so water will be fought over as oil is now, says Lady Thorp.

"If you get in the mode of conserving, you can still lead a good life.

"If you can get people into that type of conservation or proper use of our resources, then they do it right across the board. You have the thought it's not just water conservation."