Level 1 water restrictions are now in place for Waikouaiti (including Karitane and Hawksbury), Port Chalmers, Roseneath, Careys Bay and Sawyers Bay residents.

Dunedin City Council Acting Group Manager 3 Waters John McAndrew says, “Voluntary water saving efforts from the community reduced demand, and this is very much appreciated.

“However, while water flows in the Waikouaiti River increased temporarily with the weekend rain, they are now dropping again, as is the level in our Port Chalmers reservoir. We’re asking residents to take a few simple steps to help ensure our water networks remain in good shape.”

The Level 1 restrictions are in place with immediate effect, replacing the voluntary restrictions we asked for last week.

“This means people must watch their water use. Outdoors, we ask people to minimise the watering of their gardens where possible, and to avoid anything that uses a lot of water – like using garden sprinklers during the day, washing cars or water-blasting.

“Indoors, we recommend shorter showers and not using running water to brush teeth or wash vegetables.

“The rest of Dunedin’s water supply is also getting low, and with mostly dry weather forecast for the next month, we are reminding all residents and businesses in the Dunedin area to work together to make sure we’re not using more water than necessary.”

The DCC will continuing to monitor the situation and further restriction may be necessary. Restrictions will be removed once water sources are at more sustainable levels.

More information about Level 1 restrictions, and tips on how to conserve water, can be found here: www.dunedin.govt.nz/saving-water

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