Dirty Cars ‘de Rigeur’ For Whangarei Water Savers Supporting Far North

Monday, 17 February 2020, 4:13 pm
Article: Susan Botting - Local Democracy Reporter

Dirty cars are becoming a badge of honour in Whangarei as locals cut back on water use to help Far North residents on the brink of running out of the critical resource.

A trip around Whangarei city over the weekend showed a big boost in the number of dirty vehicles with super-dusty rears.

Whangarei residents have cut water use by two per cent since Monday (SUBS: 10 February), with as much as 10% water use reduction on Sunday (subs: Sunday 16 February) in particular.

Rob Forlong, Whangarei District Council (WDC) chief executive said he would like to see still greater Whangarei water use reductions.

The city’s Whau Valley dam water storage is steadily edging down - as of Monday morning (SUBS: Monday 17 February) at 65% full.

There are no formal water restrictions currently in place in Whangarei, but WDC on Valentines’ Day beefed up informal calls for its residents to take action and cut water use.

Level two restrictions are expected once the Whau Valley dam’s level drop to 60% full – the timing of that in large part influenced by how quickly the dam’s water levels drop.

Forlong said Whangarei would further strengthen water use restrictions locally should the need arise, in order to be able to send essential emergency water to Kaikohe and Kaitaia. Restriction would go up to as high as level four – the toughest controls possible - if necessary, should the Far North towns’ situation not improve.

Whangarei’s mercy mission to Kaikohe and Kaitaia to supply desperately-needed emergency water kicked in last week.

This was simply part of Whangarei demonstrating its tradition of helping others in need, as shown by kindnesses such as sending citrus to the South Island each year, Forlong said.

Meanwhile, he said he was comfortable with sending Whangarei water north last week to help desperate Kaikohe and Kaitaia residents - even as his city faced the prospect of level two water use restrictions.

Six truck and trailer tanker loads of Whangarei water went to the Far North last week via Fonterra’s Kauri factory to Kaikohe earlier in the week and Kaitaia at week’s end. About 160,000 litres went north in what, so far, has been a one-off mission to fill up emergency water tanks installed in the towns.

At edition time, there have been no further Whangarei water deliveries north since.

Forlong said Whangarei’s Sunday (SUBS Sunday 16 February) water use reduction of 10% had been more pronounced than the week’s overall two per cent reduction because schools and businesses were not open. Many of the people who came into town for schooling and business would be on tank supply at home.

He said WDC had been talking to Whangarei car wash businesses about ways they could reduce water use. A number of these were already using recycled water.

Level two restrictions are the second of four grades of water restriction with the toughest level four allowing water for essential use – drinking and washing - only. Level two controls however still allowed swimming pools to be filled.

Far North mayor John Carter told the Northern Advocate last week his council’s water infrastructure was clearly inadequate.

In contrast Whangarei’s water supply infrastructure is adequate.

Forlong said Whangarei’s water infrastructure was adequate with expanded supply in the pipeline across much of the district. The Wairua River west of Whangarei would be added into Whangarei’s water supply by 2028. There would also be increased water supply capacity through boosting reservoirs or enlarging the size of main pipes carrying water in parts of the district including Kamo, Three Mile Bush, Waipu, Poroti, Vinegar Hill and Maungakaramea.

Whangarei’s new water treatment plant would be in action by Christmas – if enough rain had fallen by then to fill Whau Valley dam, otherwise it would be in action after the 2021 winter.

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