Residents in Hastings have been advised to begin Level 2 water restrictions today, due to to hotter weather and "increased use" over the weekend.
Hastings District Council three waters manager Steve Cave said there were "several reasons" the restrictions were brought forward to today rather than the originally scheduled date on Wednesday.
"The level of demand we saw over the weekend reduces pressure to a point that residents at the furthest reaches of the network don’t receive enough water, it also triggers a condition of our Resource Consent from Hawke’s Bay Regional Council," he said.
At Level 2, hoses and sprinklers can only be used between 6am and 8am and 7pm and 9pm every second day — odd numbered homes on odd dates, even numbered homes on even dates.
"Putting low level restrictions in at this stage is hoped to help avoid higher level restrictions being imposed further into summer, depending on the weather," said Cave.
The Level 2 restrictions apply to all homes on a public Hastings District Council supply, including small community supplies, except Waimārama, which has introduced a Level 3 restriction today including a full sprinkler ban, with only hand-held hoses able to be used on alternate days between the allotted times.
Hastings District and Napier City Council will be reviewing their watering programmes for parks and gardens in the same way that residents are being asked to.
Tips for saving water include checking household taps for leaks, using "eco" settings on dishwashers and taking shorter showers.
People can also use this comprehensive list of links to New Zealand council's current water conservation measures to check water restrictions in their area.
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