It says the water supply system is under more pressure than ever before and while it falls from the sky, it’s not an endless resource as evidenced by the previous handful of summers.
I couldn’t find the same information on the Rotorua Lakes Council website but I’d hazard a guess that their supply takes a decent hit over summer too.
Last summer the city was in a Level 1 Water Shortage reducing water availability, the year before it was at Alert Level 2 meaning an impending water shortage.
At the beginning of this year, NZME reported Bay of Plenty farmers were “getting a little bit desperate” as temperatures soared and soil moisture levels fell. Niwa meteorologist Ben Noll also warned the frequency of droughts was likely to increase over time as the globe continued to heat up.
The United States Climate.gov project said in June Earth’s temperature had risen by 0.08C per decade since 1880 but the rate of warming since 1981 was more than twice that: 0.18C.
The Niwa regional prediction for November to January in the Bay of Plenty said there was an increased risk for dry spells, like what was experienced in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
That’s all the evidence I need to be convinced that rainwater tanks should be mandatory for new builds both domestic and commercial. Many rural properties already rely on one.
Heading into summer, councils are likely to ramp up warnings about water conservation so local supply doesn’t dry up, especially if the seasonal outlook for dry spells turns out to be correct.
Rainwater is a free resource and using it for things like indoor non-drinking use like the toilet and laundry, and outdoor activities like garden watering or car cashing will reduce the water bill.
Not only that, it’ll save commercial businesses significant costs on water, as well as helping the environment by reducing stormwater runoff and reliance on shared community resources.
What’s not to like about all that?
