As of Thursday 5 December, 2024 the Kawerau District has started water restriction, we are currently in level 2, please conserve water. 

We are encouraging our community to reduce water usage.  

In November, the district water usage peaked at 13,000 cubic metres per day. This prompted the call to residents to reduce your water usage.  

There has been a reduction to some 7,000 cubic metres per day for the residential users. This is still much higher than what the district should be using. With a hot, dry summer forecast, getting on top of our water usage early in the season is vital.  

To compare, Napier is currently asking their residents to reduce their daily usage from 500 litres per person, which is creating a challenging situation. In Kawerau, based on 7,000L/day overall, every person is using about 780 litres, per day.  

Our goal is to reduce the daily water usage to 200 to 250 litres per person. This will help us to be better stewards of the resource, will help us stay within our resource consent limits, and will ensure there is water in the reservoirs for emergencies, such as forest fire. 

We have had a change of water source as the Tarawera Bores were unable to keep up with the community’s current demand. To supplement the supply, water is being sourced from Umukaraka Spring under an approved emergency resource consent.  

Council wishes to thank Māori Investments Ltd for generously allowing the district to use water from Umukaraka Spring. Being good kaitiaki of the resource, means being responsible about how much water we use. 

Please note: the water usage figures do not include commercial and industrial users of water. Industry generally has resource consents to take water directly from the Tarawera River. Commercial businesses which source water from Council, are metered and charged for their usage.  

People in Kawerau each use about 800 cubic metres of water per year, which is more per head of population than many other communities.

At times during the summer, demand exceeds supply. Once the Council advises people to restrict their use, consumption usually falls, so there is no need to impose full restrictions.

The resource is not unlimited, so if you have leaking taps or run sprinklers for very long periods, it is a cost to the community.

If you see water flowing in a street, or somewhere it doesn't normally flow, please contact the Council >>.

Water Usage during hot dry weather 

During periods of hot and dry weather conditions, Kawerau residents are asked to limit their water usage, particularly for lawn and garden sprinkling. 
High water usage can also affect the water pressure. 

Other ways to manage non-urgent water usage include: 
•    Check your tank, taps, hoses etc. for leaks 
•    Reduce toilet flushing as much as possible 
•    Reduce shower time/frequency where possible 
•    Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth and shaving 
•    Limit use of appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines 
•    Do not use town supply for stock 
•    Limit washing of boats or vehicles.

The Council wants to thank the community for their cooperation in conserving water. 

Water Conservation Tips

When it comes to conserving water, every drop counts - a dripping tap can waste up to 90 litres of water a day.

• Here are some easy things you can do to help conserve our water:
• Turn taps off while you shave and brush your teeth
• Run your dishwasher only when it's full
• Turn your taps off properly and repair dripping taps
• Store drinking water in the fridge instead of running the tap cold

Turning-off your water

Water is supplied to each house separately. If you want to turn your supply off there is a valve near the boundary line between the road and your property.
To find the valve, look for the white paint on the kerb outside your property. The valve will be about 500mm below the ground under a small blue aluminium lid. If you can't find the valve, or have trouble turning it off, please contact the Council >>.

Drinking Water Precautions

The Ministry of Health recommends you flush a cup of water from your drinking water taps each morning.

The softness of New Zealand water is associated with leaching of metals such as lead from plumbing fittings. Flushing your taps helps to remove these metals.

Although the health risk is small, all households should follow this simple precaution.

Please phone the Council on 07 306 9009 at any time if you experience any issues with your water. After hours calls can be directed to the Duty Supervisor.

Plugging Leaks

The Council is serious about saving water and actively looks for street leaks. 

If you see water leaking from a hydrant, a toby (your main water shut off valve), or anywhere else, please contact Customer Services on 07 306 9009.

Watering Your Garden

Kawerau’s highest water use happens in summer when more water is used outside, particularly on gardens. The Council encourages watering gardens during cooler times of the day.

The following tips will help make water go farther:

• Check soil moisture. If your soil is moist 10 centimetres below the surface, you don't need to water.
• Water in cool, settled weather. Water your garden on calmer days, in the cool of early morning, or in the evening.
• Aim low and slow. Water close to the ground at a rate the soil can absorb.
• Use a sprinkler. Established plants should only need 30 minutes watering once or twice a week in dry weather.
• Use mulch. Mulch protects your soil from the drying effects of wind and sun, and it can cut evaporation by 70 percent.