Water restrictions for Kaitaia and Kawakawa

Level 2 water restrictions are being applied to Kaitaia and Kawakawa-Moerewa due to low flows in rivers and little prospect of significant rain over the next two weeks.

The restrictions being applied from today ban the use of unattended garden hoses, sprinklers and irrigation devices by households and businesses connected to Council water supplies.

Acting Council CEO William Taylor says the restrictions recognise that Kaitaia’s Awanui River and the Tirohanga Stream at Kawakawa have not recovered well from the 2019/20 drought. “While both water sources are running above minimum consent levels, flows are trending downwards which is cause for concern. We know demand for water is likely to increase over the Christmas and New Year period, so as a precaution we need to reduce demand now to avoid the need for even tighter restrictions in coming weeks.”

He says the restrictions are a reminder to all Far North residents to use water sensibly over summer and the need to adopt simple conservation measures. These include:

• Shorter showers
• Flushing less often
• Only washing clothes on a full load
• Turning off taps while brushing teeth
• Fixing leaking taps, toilets and other fittings.

Mr Taylor says an increased holiday season population will increase pressure on water supplies. “I am asking all residents and business owners to remind visitors, friends and whanau of the need to conserve our precious resource.”

He says work to develop secondary water supplies for Kaitaia and Kaikohe – the two communities most seriously impacted by the recent drought – are progressing well. A bore site at Sweetwater near Kaitaia is due to supplement supplies from the Awanui River before next summer. Meanwhile, a second bore at Monument Hill in Kaikohe should be operational soon and could meet up to 45 per cent of the town’s summer water needs if required. The Council is also undertaking detailed research on the Tirohanga Stream near Kawakawa. It is hoped new evidence will show it is safe to take water for Kawakawa and Moerewa residents even when flows in the Tirohanga are lower.