If you’re washing your boat (not just flushing out your motor) during a save water or water restriction notice, you may be hearing from us.

This week we adopted our Water Supply Bylaw, which took effect from Thursday 19 December, and one of the changes is that boat washing is restricted if water shortages are in place.

“Washing down a boat can use a lot of water, which is a challenge during peak summer periods when domestic water demand is high at the same time,” says Bruce Hinson, our Operations Group Manager.

“In communities like Matarangi and Whangamata we often have to issue water restrictions to conserve water and we don’t want to get into a situation where people are without water for essential purposes, so washing the boat down with a handheld hose during those times is in the same category as restrictions for using a hose to water your garden,” says Mr Hinson. “However, if it’s just flushing out the boat’s motor, that’s not a problem, as it’s considered ordinary use to keep the boat operating,” says Mr Hinson.

Right now the whole district is on a Conserve Water notice, which is asking everyone to be mindful of their water use, particularly as we head into a busy summer season with extra visitors here. Coromandel Town is on a Total Water Ban and Whitianga is on a Sprinkler Ban.

You can read the full details here.

Why do we have a Water Supply Bylaw?

This Bylaw exists for the protection and regulation of our district’s drinking water supplies and meeting compliance with various legislative requirements.

We operate 11 water supply systems across 13 settlements, and need to ensure that our communities have basic water supplies both at times of low and high demand.

For example, to ensure public safety, the Bylaw requires all drinking water carriers to be registered as such on the national drinking-water register. Another example is that the Bylaw provides us with the ability to impose water restrictions to manage demand. This is especially applicable during summer as well as during water supply system failures.

Some things the Bylaw does is:

• Enable our Council to protect public health and the security of the district’s public water supplies, which includes backflow prevention;
• Detail the responsibilities of both our Council and our customers with respect to the public water supplies;
• Detail the means for the recovery of water supply costs;
• Outline means to prevent wastage of water;
• Provide a mechanism for water demand management; and
• Detail breaches and offences and provide a disputes-resolution procedure.

Water restrictions currently in place

Total watering ban for Coromandel Town

Due to a fault at the water treatment plant reservoir levels have dropped significantly and we need assistance from the Coromandel Town community as savings are required immediately.

A total watering ban is now in place until further notice. This means all use of water outside the house is banned. Including watering lawns and gardens, washing cars, houses, and decks, filling paddling pools and playing under sprinklers.

We thank you for your cooperation and we’re working to fix the fault as soon as possible.

Whitianga - Sprinkler Ban

A Sprinkler Ban means a total ban on the use of all sprinkler, unattended hoses and irrigation systems. Hand-held hoses can be used on alternate days: If your address is an even number you can use your hose on even numbered days, and vice versa for odd numbered houses.

All other parts of the district are on "Conserve Water". We're asking residents and visitors to use water carefully to ensure our water supply is not depleted.

We'll keep monitoring water use in our nine urban and two rural water supply schemes regularly and review our water restrictions daily. Any changes are posted on our website, email newsletters, our Thames-Coromandel District Council Facebook page and are reported on Coromandel More FM radio.

Please report water wastage and water leaks to our Customer Services team on 07 868 0200.

Top 5 smart water conservation tips

• Wait until you can do full loads before you wash dishes or use the washing machine.
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• Don’t run the water when brushing your teeth.
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• For cool drinking water, fill a jug and keep it in the fridge. Running water to cool it down can waste 10 litres a minute.
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• For lawns, apply the ‘step test’ – if grass springs back after you walk on it, it doesn’t need watering.
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• If your toilet has a dual-flush button, use the half flush.
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What do the water restriction levels mean?

Total watering ban: Savings are required immediately. All use of water outside the house is banned. This includes watering lawns and gardens, washing cars, houses, and decks, filling paddling pools and playing under sprinklers.

Sprinkler Ban: A total ban on the use of all sprinkler, unattended hoses and irrigation systems. Hand-held hoses can be used on alternate days: If your address is an even number you can use your hose on even numbered days, and vice versa for odd numbered houses.

Alternate Days: The water supply is under pressure. Hoses, sprinklers and garden irrigation systems can only be used on alternate days. If your address is an even number you can use your hose on even numbered days, and vice versa for odd numbered houses.

Conserve Water: Residents and holidaymakers are asked to keep using water carefully to ensure our supply continues.

No Restrictions: No official restrictions on water use, but water is a precious resource. Please be mindful of water use regardless of official restrictions.

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