Timaru District Council is today introducing Level 1 water restrictions for all urban areas in Timaru District, as well as users of the Seadown rural scheme.

Level 1 means no watering of lawns, and that we will continue to closely monitor water usage across our schemes. Commercial users are being asked to make efficiencies.

Drainage and Water Manager Andrew Lester said that at this time of year every drop counts, and everyone making this one small change is the best way of avoiding more significant water restrictions down the track.

“Once things become drier and hotter, we see our water usage spike significantly as people begin to use much more water outdoors. With each extended hot, dry spell we are experiencing, the demand for water is increasing,” he said.

“While we have good water infrastructure and storage in place, our capacity isn’t unlimited. The amount of water we can take from our rivers and the pipes we deliver it through can’t support this increasing level of peak demand, so we need everyone to reduce their usage a bit, and at the very minimum stop watering their lawns.

“Most lawns are able to handle a dry period and will bounce back as soon as the rain starts again. Letting your lawn go a bit yellow means there’s water for your plants that need it more.

“It’s not just about doing the bare minimum though; you can also help with water conservation in lots of other ways as well. From running your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full, picking the right time of day to water your bedding plants and vegetables to minimise wastage to using timers and microjets there’s a huge number of ways you can be more efficient in your water usage.

“We’ve been reasonably lucky so far this summer with regular rainfall, but it’s forecast to be drier than usual over the next few months, so every drop will count.”

We’re also asking people to keep an eye out for any leaks on the network, and help us to get them fixed by reporting to 03 687 7200, enquiry@timdc.govt.nz or using the Snap, Send, Solve app.

Urban areas of Timaru District include: Timaru, Temuka, Geraldine, Pleasant Point and Winchester. Seadown is included as it is the only unrestricted rural supply, all other schemes are already restricted to a fixed daily volume.

For more water saving tips visit Timaru.govt.nz/savewater