Dry spell causes water worries

Rotorua residents are being urged to conserve water to avoid restrictions if the region doesn't get enough rain soon.

Given the recent hot and dry weather conditions, the Rotorua District Council is sending out pamphlets asking people to conserve water and providing tips on how to go about it.

While there are currently no official water restrictions in place, council staff say that could change if conditions remain dry and water supplies come under pressure.

Rotorua District Council operations engineer Kim Lockie said there were no problems with any of the water supplies except in Mamaku.

The notice was being sent to educate people on how to conserve water, especially while the weather is so hot.

"With these extremely dry conditions it places extra pressure on our [water] pumps."

Miss Lockie said given Rotorua was having one of it most extended dry spells, the water pumps were doing quite well.

However, if the dry weather continued the council may have to consider water restrictions including an enforced ban on sprinklers throughout the city.

Although she did not want to spoil children's fun and would not want to see water fights banned she encouraged people to think about how much water is being wasted.

Less water was used in a water gun than in a hose which could also be accidentally left on after a water fight, she said.

Miss Lockie said a break in the dry weather is expected over the next few days which will help.

A Metservice forecaster Melanie Graham told the Daily Post Rotorua residents can expect to be able to cool off with rain forecast over the next four days including heavy falls on Tuesday easing to showers on Wednesday.

Sending out the pamphlet was an education tool and something which would be done annually.

She said the last water restriction in the city was in 1998 when Tihiotonga residents were banned from using sprinklers due to pressure on the water pumps from the hot and dry weather conditions.

Meanwhile, a ban on the use of sprinklers or other irrigation systems remains in force in Mamaku due to problems with a new pump which was installed early December. The pump was not working as well as the last one and that could only be investigated by closing the bore.

The ban will remain until possibly the end of next month.

Work on establishing a second bore in Mamaku to meet future demand will begin next month depending on results from test drilling being done this month.