Tauranga City Council is calling for residents to conserve water over the next few days as its water treatment plants come under pressure from storm sediment.

Council’s water services manager Peter Bahrs says bad weather from Cyclone Gabrielle could seriously affect the city's water treatment plants.

“It’s highly likely the rain the city experiences over the next few days will stir up sediment in local streams. This extra sediment makes treating the water a lot harder, and it’s probable we’ll need to shut down our treatment plants for a time,” he says

In the event of a shutdown Tauranga reservoirs hold enough drinkable water to last 24-48 hours.

“We appreciate your ongoing support in conserving water while we weather this storm together,” says Peter.

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