Monday, 21 December, 2015

Christchurch residents urged to conserve water

Christchurch residents are asked to be careful about using water over the summer or risk reduced water pressure.

Christchurch City Council Acting City Water and Waste Unit Manager Tim Joyce says the city is expecting an El Nino weather pattern to continue to bring hot, dry conditions, and already this season the water supply has been put under pressure.

When water usage gets beyond a certain level over a number of days, pump stations have trouble refilling reservoirs overnight to cope with the next day's demands.

"Last year in November and December, that level was exceeded once. Since the beginning of November this year the level has been exceeded 10 times," Tim Joyce says.

"This is really concerning and if it continues, people in some areas of Christchurch will notice reduced water pressure," he says.

Akaroa water restrictions have been in place since 5 December.

"People in other parts of the city need to conserve water too. This includes Birdlings Flat, Little River, Duvachelle and Wainui and the metropolitan area," he says.

"We know that when the mercury starts rising, and especially when it's windy, people want to water their gardens.

"Peak consumption times tend to be in the evening. People get home from work and turn on a sprinkler. Instead we would ask that they do this before 6am or after 9pm. This means water consumption is spread out during the day and allows the reservoirs to refill properly so there's plenty of water the next day," Tim Joyce says.

"Garden irrigation systems use a lot of water, check for leaks and ensure yours is working efficiently.

"Using a timer to make sure your irrigation system or sprinkler turns off when the job is done is a good idea too," he says.

Other water conservation tips can be found at www.becomewaterwise.co.nz

- ends -

© Scoop Media