Despite some recent rain, summer is well and truly here, and we’ve been keeping a close eye on the levels of the rivers and streams that feed our water supply, as well as the weather and other indicators such as soil moisture levels. Water is not an unlimited resource, and there are limits on how much we can take.

While some rainy and cooler days have come our way, we’ve certainly noticed a few very hot, dry days as well. NIWA has forecast a hotter than usual summer and while we watch for significant rainfall, we are also keeping in mind that that the hottest part of summer is yet to come. You can see on the map from NIWA below that the last couple of weeks have been hotter this year than the historical average for our district.

The rest of the district currently remains on level 2 water restrictions, this builds on level 1 and helps make sure everyone has enough water over summer for essential use (i.e. drinking and hygiene). Te Aroha is now on level 3 water restrictions. 

Level 2 means adjusting any sprinklers or irrigation to operate on alternate days between 6-8am and 6-8pm. Watering by hand can still be done at any time but avoiding the middle of the day can make the most of your water by minimising evaporation.

Make sure to check out mpdc.nz/water for FAQs on water restrictions and water conservation.

We all have a big decision to make this year about the future of water services delivery. For updates head here.