Water restrictions for most of Hawke’s Bay; Bay View stuck at Level 4

Bay View couple Alec Olsen and Heather Bell with their dogs, Maple and Clem, on their property, which is becoming increasingly dry. Photo / Warren Buckland

All of Hawke’s Bay except the Wairoa district has water restrictions in place in a rare action for this time of year, including one community indefinitely stuck in one of the highest restriction levels.

Bay View residents have the strictest water restrictions across the region due to an ongoing pipe leak (Level 4 restrictions), followed by Waimārama (Level 3), then the rest of Napier, Hastings district and all of Central Hawke’s Bay, which are at Level 2.

Water restrictions can go up to Level 5 and an explainer of each restriction level can be found below.

One council says it is rare for water restrictions to be in place this late in the year as dry conditions and low river levels continue.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council reported that April was the third consecutive month to have rainfall far lower than average.

Only 44 per cent of April’s average rainfall was recorded across the region.

Bay View’s Level 4 restriction means there is a complete ban on outdoor water use.

Level 4 has been in place there for two weeks and will remain “until further notice” after a leak was discovered in the main water pipeline that supplies the community.

“The leak is in the pipe that crosses the Ahuriri Estuary [which] makes it challenging to repair,” a Napier City Council (NCC) statement stated.

“Until the leak is fixed, we need to limit the amount of water Bay View is using, hence the need for Level 4 water restrictions.

“This means no outside use of water including hand-held hoses and sprinklers.”

The council is hopeful repair work will begin by the end of next week.

An electronic sign in Bay View township, north of Napier. Photo / Warren Buckland

Bay View resident Alec Olsen has planted more than 1000 native trees on his property and has stopped watering them while the restriction is in place.

“The natives are getting dry because we are in an extended dry period, and especially on the slopes.

“We normally would be watering them but now we can’t.

“If we do we are using rain water because we have a tank, but if we run that out we are on Napier water.”

Olsen, a former regional councillor, said he was surprised the latest update to residents noted that parts to repair the pipe had to be sourced from out of the area.

“It seems to have caught them a little bit.”

NCC confirmed testing had been carried out in Bay View and there was no indication of contamination in the water.

Bay View Fire Station, a volunteer brigade, has been doing dry training during the restrictions but still has access to water for emergencies.

Water restrictions ‘rare’ so late in the year

A Hastings District Council spokeswoman said Level 2 restrictions were not common for this time of year.

“It is rare that restrictions remain in place this late in the year – this is due to the continued dry weather and low stream [and river] flows across the district.”

However, further south, Central Hawke’s Bay District Council (CHBDC) says it is not uncommon for some restrictions still to be in place in May.

Level 4 water restrictions have been in place for two weeks in Bay View. Photo / Warren Buckland

A council spokesman said the Level 2 restrictions could lift soon as river levels were hovering near the required depth.

“Most of the bores we use to abstract water are hydrologically linked to the Waipawa and Tukituki rivers, hence are dependent on the amount of water that flows through the river,” he said.

Water-saving initiatives

Hawke’s Bay experienced two extremely wet years in 2022 and 2023 – which included Cyclone Gabrielle last February – but 2024 is shaping up as a dry year.

It comes as councils across Hawke’s Bay continue to consider ways to better save water, particularly during dry seasons.

A regional council Regional Water Assessment (RWA) was released last year and included some recommendations, such as installing water meters on properties to help residents become more aware of their usage.

An NCC spokeswoman agreed mindsets needed to change around water usage.

“We have very high rates of water use in Napier. Water meters are a useful tool in managing water use.

“Although we have no immediate plans to instate them in Napier, we have indicated that it’s something we could look at in the future.”

She said meters were used in rural areas of Napier.

Meanwhile, in Hastings district, about 2000 electronic smart water meters were attached to council tobies across Hastings, Havelock North, Flaxmere, Bridge Pa and Pakipaki during the 2022-23 summer, which equates to about 10 per cent of connections in the district.

Water restriction levels

Level 1: Voluntary water conservation

Level 2: Hose and sprinkler restrictions (use between 6am-8am and 7pm-9pm on alternate days only)

Level 3: Sprinkler ban, hose restriction

Level 4: Ban on outdoor water use

Level 5: Water for consumption and sanitary purposes only

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.