A shift to drier weather conditions has seen additional water restrictions implemented for some Tasman consent holders from next week. Our dams continue to supplement key water supplies in other areas maintaining unrestricted water use.

Consent holders in the Motupiko water management zone will move to Stage 2 rationing, or a 35 % cut of allocated weekly usage, from Monday March 16 2026.

Water users in the Rainy zone are now on a cease take under their own specific consent conditions.

Meanwhile, Waimea dam unaffiliated permit holders reached Stage 1 trigger levels (2750 l/s for A permits) last week and have now moved to Stage 2 (50% cuts for A permits and 20 % cuts for B Permit) from Wednesday evening

Some minor rainfall is forecast for later in the week, however minimal rainfall in recent days has seen declining river flows in all locations with the driest areas in the district being Motupiko, Wai-iti and Waimea.

Fortunately, fruit harvesting is now in progress across several crops, and it is expected that water demand in some areas will decline.

The Wai-iti dam is 96% full as of Wednesday, March 11 and has sufficient storage to see though the remainder of this growing season.

The Waimea Community Dam is 99% full and is maintaining the minimum flow (1100 l/s) below the dam, with the capacity to increase flow releases in the Waimea River to meet or exceed the minimum flow if required.

Water is being released from the Wai-iti dam as of Monday March 9 and this has stabilised the flow recession (160 l/s) at Lower Wai-iti with flow rising over the last two days to 180 l/s.

The Cobb Dam at Upper Tākaka is around 70% full, generating power at regular intervals while also keeping flushes going down the Tākaka River.

These regular flows down the Tākaka River have the added benefit of increasing the flow at Te Waikoropupū Springs (currently at around 9660 l/s).

No other water management zones are affected by these restrictions – this includes Council-managed reticulated water supplies which are subject to alternative and different restriction criteria.

Staff will continue to monitor river flows, groundwater, and soil moisture levels in the coming days.

This week’s decision will be reviewed by the Dry Weather Taskforce on Tuesday 17 March to ascertain the need for continued or further measures.

You can keep up to date with groundwater and river flow data by visiting our environmental data portal www.tasman.govt.nz/my-region/environment/environmental-data-portal .

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