Morrinsville hanging baskets being taken down to save water

The district council says the hanging baskets in Morrinsville are being taken down as garden watering systems are turned off to save water. Photo / File

Matamata-Piako District Council says it has taken down Morrinsville hanging baskets as an approach to save water.

Following the recent warm and dry period, the council has moved up the water alert level scale to alert level 3, putting a sprinkler ban in force for all water supply consumers in Te Aroha, Matamata, Morrinsville, Te Poi, Tahuna, Waharoa and Hinuera.

This means residents and visitors of the district have to say bye-bye to the colourful hanging baskets in Morrinsville while Matamata-Piako has the sprinkler ban in place, as also all of the district's garden watering systems have been turned off.

The water restrictions apply to all residential and commercial customers on town water supply. At level 3, these also apply to businesses and commercial customers, including schools and childcare centres, where water is being used for non-core business purposes.

Council's water and wastewater manager Karl Pavlovich says: "It will take a fair amount of rain to replenish our water supplies. We need everyone to conserve as much water as possible so we can get through the coming months."

He asks residents to think twice before using water, especially outdoors. The long range forecast from NIWA indicates long periods of dry, warm weather continuing through until April, with only periodic rainfall.

Pavlovich says the decision to change levels was made based on factors like dam levels, weather forecasts and soil moisture levels.

"Soil moisture is a really important indicator of how dry it is and we're nearing levels similar to last summer. That's really dry," he says.

The problem is the changing weather pattern, where the traditional four seasons no longer apply.

"This is another dry summer, after a dry winter and a previously record dry summer in 2019/20."

As rain is predicted, but not guaranteed, council has decided to take precaution by moving up the alert level scale.

"If water use continues at the current level without getting steady rainfall in the water catchment areas we'll need to move to level 4 restrictions in about 20 days," says Pavlovich.

During water alert level 3, outdoor watering can only be done using a hand-held hose on alternate days, meaning addresses with even street numbers should water on days with even dates in the month, and odd letterbox numbers can water on days with odd dates.

Sprinklers, garden irrigation systems, unattended hoses, unnecessary water blasting and other water use is banned. There is no restriction on when hand-held hoses can be used, but it is recommended to water between 6am and 8am and 6pm and 8pm to reduce water evaporation.

Otorohanga District and Thames-Coromandel District currently have no restrictions in place apart from the permanent watering ban in Thames Valley.

Hamilton City, Waipa (only Te Awamutu, Pirongia, Kaipaki and Ohaupo) and Waikato District (Tauwhare, Gordonton, Matangi, Tamahere, Newstead/Eureka, Wallace Rd and Stonebridge estate) are all at alert level 2: sprinklers and irrigation systems on alternate days between 6am and 8am and 6pm and 8pm, hand-held hoses anytime.

Cambridge and Kihikihi are on alert level 1, meaning sprinklers between 6am and 8am and 6pm and 8pm, hand-held hosing any time.

Hauraki District and South Waikato District are at alert level 1, conserve water with the exception of Arapuni which is in level 2, sprinklers on alternative days between 6am-8am and 6pm-8pm. Hand-held hosing at any time.