Hamilton City Council has confirmed that the current ban on using sprinklers and irrigation systems will be in place for the rest of the month.

Ongoing dry weather and summerlike conditions, no significant recent rainfall, and Omicron impacts have prompted Council to predict the need to remain at the current level of restrictions for at least the next few weeks.

Council’s City Waters Unit Manager, Emily Botje, is pleased Hamiltonians have been mindful of their recent water usage and is encouraging people to continue their good efforts.

“The last few weeks especially, we have seen a significant drop in water consumption across the city, compared with the highs of mid to late January,” Botje said.

“We know autumn is on its way, but we are still dealing with the tail-end of summer.

“We thank people for their efforts to reduce their water use, especially over the last month and want to encourage them to continue to do so for the rest of March.

“We know that the conditions have been hot and dry for a long time now, and we want to thank Hamiltonians for their patience as we work through the next few weeks of forecast dry weather.”

Due to the high numbers of Omicron cases and requirements for staff isolation, Council is experiencing absences across all Council services, including at the water treatment plant where the city’s drinking water is processed.

“Remaining at Alert Level 3 of the Smart Water framework ensures we can continue to operate with the confidence that we have a predictable and manageable demand for our city’s water,” said Botje.

“Our staff are soldiering on, continuing to do the mahi and we appreciate Hamiltonians’ patience and understanding as we manage our services in the face of Omicron.”

Smart Water Alert Level 3 has been in place in Hamilton since 3 February. At this level, sprinklers are not allowed to be used. Handheld hosing is still allowed at any time.

Council waters compliance staff are travelling around the city, monitoring usage, and notifying water wasters via letterbox drop. Concerned residents can also notify Council when they see someone breaking the rules through the Smart Water website, at smartwater.org.nz/report.

For more information and great water saving tips, visit smartwater.org.nz, or you can keep up with the latest important Council information by downloading the Antenno app.

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