Carterton residents are being warned to prepare for a dry summer and start saving water early.
A Carterton District Council [CDC] spokesperson said forecasts anticipated a drier-than-usual summer, and now was the time to consider strategies for water conservation.
Geoff Hamilton, CDC chief executive Geoff Hamilton stressed the council’s increased focus on water resilience and conservation and said risk mitigation plans would be in place.
“Carterton remains susceptible to prolonged dry spells … water restrictions are inevitable, because the water supply is finite.”
Water reticulation teams have been fixing leaks in the urban network, Hamilton said.
“Council will deploy new potable water tanks on Dalefield Road, providing 4 million litres of additional storage this summer and enhancing our water resilience.
“Water storage and smart use in such conditions is essential. Heavy rains, like those experienced in Wairarapa over the past two summers, take time to replenish water sources. Immediate action is vital to protect the environment.”
Hamilton urged households, businesses, and the community to conserve water.
Carterton primarily relies on an aquifer in the southern part of the urban area and its nearby Kaipaitangata Stream for potable water, both of which are vulnerable to dry conditions.
“Water conservation is a key part of our resource consent requirements. Complying with conservation measures is not only a responsibility but also critical for preventing bushfires in dry conditions.”
The Carterton community shared water conservation ideas last summer in an online campaign called “Be A Water Hero”.
“This year, we will share these examples with the public to inspire more water-saving ideas,” Hamilton said.
“For instance, we encourage pool owners to refill their pools now, before warmer weather arrives.
“If we all consider conservation measures, improvements, and a strong focus on responsible water use, our community’s water needs will be met while safeguarding against scarcity and environmental threats.”
This year’s annual report showed CDC lost 16 per cent of its real water from the networked reticulation system.
This is considerably less than the water loss reported in other parts of the wider Wellington region.
A letter in September from Daran Ponter, Greater Wellington Regional Council chair, to the mayors of Wellington, Porirua, Hutt City and Upper Hutt, described the issue.
“We understand that the current rate of water loss through our reticulated network is in the order of 55 per cent of potable water coming from our Te Marua, Wainuiomata and Waterloo treatment plants. This is an extraordinary and unsustainable level of water loss,” he said.
More information about water conservation, including Carterton’s water usage charts, is at cdc.govt.nz/water.
– NZLDR
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.
Why do the district councils have 5? 10? Year plans we can’t even get the basic needs for urban living 😒 😪. It’s just irresponsible we have environmentalists wanting SOLAR POWER? WIND TURBINES? and roading authorities who are in a nanny state 🙄. Just to name a few. You live in the rural area you have water storage and septic tanks and no the district councils don’t pay for it we the rural rate payers PAY. GET YOUR BASIC NEEDS DONE IT’S A JOKE.