Conserve water now' - plea to Thames and Coromandel Town communities

Requests to conserve water have not been met in Thames and Coromandel Town, and the situation with the water supply is now urgent as supplies are very low.

Both Thames and Coromandel Town are on a total watering ban. This means all use of water outside the house is banned. This includes watering lawns and gardens, washing cars, houses, and decks, filling paddling pools and playing under sprinklers.

Despite having this maximum restriction in place for a few days, residents continue to use large amounts of water, more than the treatment plants can produce, and the networks in both communities are under significant pressure.

Our Infrastructure Manager Mohamed Imtiaz says with treatment plants at their maximum production rate, residents need to conserve water urgently and they will be receiving a notice in the mail informing them of the restriction.

"The conservation messages are not being heard as reservoir levels are still declining," Mohamed says.

“Of course we recognise it's hot, but we need people to please not use water unecessarily.

“Most of our communities have responded positively to the restrictions we have had over this hot, dry summer, and we ask for your ongoing cooperation,” Mohamed says.

All other parts of the district are currently on a ‘conserve water’ restriction, which means residents and holidaymakers are being asked to keep using water carefully to ensure our supply continues.

Our Civil Defence team warns that the fire risk associated with hot, dry weather is heightened when the water supply is under pressure, and also asks people to do their part to preserve our water supply.

Current restrictions:

Coromandel Town – Total watering ban
Thames – Total watering ban
Hikutaia - Conserve water
Puriri - Conserve water
Matatoki - Conserve water
Matarangi - Conserve water
Hahei - Conserve water
Tairua - Conserve water
Pauanui - Conserve water
Onemana - Conserve water
Whangamata - Conserve water
Whitianga – Conserve water
We'll keep monitoring water use in our nine urban and two rural water supply schemes regularly and we're reviewing our water restrictions daily. Any changes are posted on our website, email newsletters and our Thames-Coromandel District Council Facebook page.

Please report water wastage and water leaks to Customer Service on 07 868 0200.

Residents and visitors are asked to comply with the water restrictions for the good of the community.

Top 5 smart water conservation tips

Wait until you can do full loads before you wash dishes or use the washing machine.
Don’t run the water when brushing your teeth.
For cool drinking water, fill a jug and keep it in the fridge. Running water to cool it down can waste 10 litres a minute.
For lawns, apply the ‘step test’ – if grass springs back after you walk on it, it doesn’t need watering.
If your toilet has a dual-flush button, use the half flush.

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