Sprinkler ban amid Northland water shortage after driest conditions in 80 years

Tuesday, 29 October 2019

One of the driest years in Northland in more than 80 years has led to water restrictions being introduced early in the Far North.

A level two water restriction is now in place for Kaikohe, which means sprinklers and irrigation systems are banned for homes and businesses in the towns of Kaikohe and Ngāwhā.

And everyone is being urged to conserve water now, to avoid more severe restrictions later in the season.

Water restrictions have already started in Kaikohe, where sprinklers are banned.

Level three restrictions ban sprinklers and hand-held hoses; while the most severe restriction, level four, bans all outdoor water use.

**READ MORE:

Businesses and residents must save water in the Kaikohe area, including Northland Regional Corrections Facility at Ngāwhā.

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Level three restrictions, which are common at the height of summer, ran in Hokianga and Kaitaia until June this year.

Northland Regional Council could also impose further water rationing, if needed in dry catchments, group manager regulatory services Colin Dall said.

It may have been dry in Northland but it is nothing compared with the drought in Australia, such as at this farm on the outskirts of the north-western New South Wales.

Rainfall monitoring by the regional council shows many areas in Northland were 30 to 40 per cent down on normal levels.

'For instance, Whangarei recorded just 880mm of rain in the 12 months to September 30, 42 per cent less than the typical 1500mm,' Dall said.

'In Kaitaia, 925mm fell over the same period - 32 per cent less than the usual 1350mm - while in Kerikeri, rainfall was down one-third, with 1140mm recorded against the usual 1700mm.'

The problem was made worse by consecutive dry months leading up to winter this year.

'In the first six months of this year alone, Kerikeri and Whangarei were the driest they'd been in more than 80 years - since 1935 and 1937 respectively - and the situation hasn't really improved much since then, with lower than average rainfall through winter itself.'

Despite the low levels of rainfall, Kaikohe residents were quick to criticise Far North District Council for introducing the water restrictions so early in the year, in an area with one of the highest water charges in the country.

'We've had so much rain just in the past couple of months alone, it's like winter came back,' one Facebook user wrote.

'Hell … it's not even summer yet & Kaikohe is the wettest area in Northland. SHAME,' wrote another.

Kaikohe was supplied by both a stream and a bore, but both were 'worryingly low', said Far North District Council general manager – infrastructure and asset management, Andy Finch.

Further water storage in Far North and Kaipara was being investigated thanks to a Provincial Growth Fund grant.

The dry conditions are not as severe as in Australia's Queensland where towns had not seen significant rain for two years and the water supply could run dry by Christmas.

New South Wales is also suffering, with just 150mm of rain all year.