Hamilton gets water restrictions as hot weather fuels consumption rise

Water alert level 2 means sprinklers can be used on only alternate days between 6am and 8am or between 6pm and 8pm. Photo / NZME

The recent hot weather shows summer is finally here, but it also let Hamilton's water consumption rapidly increase, so Hamilton City Council will move the city into water alert level 2 on Wednesday.

Focusing on outdoor water use, alert level 2 means sprinklers can be used on only alternate days between 6am and 8am or between 6pm and 8pm. Houses with even street numbers should use sprinklers on only even days and odd-numbered houses on odd days. Hand-held hosing is allowed at any time.

Council water manager Emily Botje says a change in water restriction levels is not a decision that's made lightly.

"Before making the call, we consider a number of factors and look ahead with the goal of saving as much water as we can. We also don't want to seesaw in and out of restrictions. It's really important that we get this right coming into the hottest and driest part of the year. The less we use now, the better we'll be over the coming months."

Despite recent rainfall, Hamilton is still experiencing high temperatures and a rise in water consumption. The city's consumption levels recently hit more than 75 million litres on some days, the equivalent of 30 Olympic swimming pools of water.

Botje encourages Hamiltonians to stop and think about that amount of water, and what it could mean for everyone if we experience droughts over summer because we aren't being mindful of our water use.

"When we're in these warmer months we don't know how much rain we'll get, so restrictions are a smart and proactive way of conserving water and minimising wastage."

Hamilton City Council is part of the annual Smart Water sub-regional summer campaign, which stands under the theme Smart Water starts with you! this year. The city has joined Waitomo and Waipā district councils in an attempt to make a long-term change to how we use water.

Waipā District Council water services manager Martin Mould says while the district wasn't moving up a level at the moment, it doesn't mean we shouldn't be aware of how much we're using.

"We already know this summer is going to be another very hot one. Valuing wai (water) means appreciating it and learning how to use it wisely. Councils aren't asking people to stop using it altogether, just to be mindful and adopt Smart Water tips. "

The team at Waipā District Council is encouraging people to focus on the small changes they can make to conserve water. Instead of water restrictions, people should try to see it as an opportunity to learn.

Mould says there has been a significant investment over the past five years to ensure capacity of water treatment and supply in the Waipā district.

For more information on how to save water and water alert levels click here.