23 Oct 2018

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Christchurch people are being encouraged to cut back on their water use so work can continue on upgrading the city’s below ground well heads over the summer months.

“We need to keep water use down over the summer if we want to continue the well head and pump station work that we need to do to improve our water supply network,’’ says Council Water Supply Programme Manager Helen Beaumont.

A man waters his garden.

Hand-held hoses are best for watering the garden.

Read the Council report.

“Normally in the summer when it is hot and everyone is out watering their gardens we need to draw water from all our wells to keep up with the demand.

“This summer we want to be able shut down some of the wells so we can continue the work to convert the below ground well heads to above ground well heads. That is only going to be possible if people cut back on their water use, which is why we are asking people to conserve water.

“The less water you use, the faster we can work, which is our best chance of ending temporary chlorination sooner,’’ Ms Beaumont says.

“We will be rolling out a campaign over the coming months in which we will sharing tips on easy ways to cut back on your water use. As part of that campaign we’ll be encouraging people to water their garden at most, every second day, using hand-held hoses rather than sprinklers or irrigation systems.

“We will also be asking people not to water their lawn,’’ Ms Beaumont says. “In Christchurch this summer a brown lawn is going to be a beautiful thing .’’

Council staff will be closely monitoring water consumption over the summer and, if need be, level 3 water restrictions will be introduced.

Level 3 restrictions mean you can only use hand held hoses to water your garden and only between the hours of 9pm and 7am on alternate days.

Key water saving tips

  • Water your garden before 7am or after 9pm.
  • Avoid watering in strong winds as it quickly evaporates the water.
  • If you’re washing your car, do it on the lawn so you’re watering the lawn at the same time.
  • Keep children’s paddling pools covered with a tarpaulin when not in use to keep rubbish out so you can use the water for several days in a row. When you need to change the water, use a bucket to empty the water from the paddling pool into your garden.
  • Keep showers under five minutes to save up to 3700 litres of water a month.
  • Up to 20 per cent of household water use is for washing clothes. Cutting one load a week could save 50 litres so wait until you have a full load before turning the washing machine on.