15 May 2009
Sprinkler restrictions that were put in place in January have now been lifted.
Council Engineering Group Manager John Kerr says the Waipa community did an outstanding job in managing their water usage, and this commitment ensured the dry months were successfully negotiated.
“Council is grateful to residents, businesses and high users for their efforts. The savings that were achieved meant that even though demand was still fairly high at times, we were able to manage even high peak flow with enough to spare for emergencies.”
In Te Awamutu, the average daily use was 9,000 cubic metres, well down on last years maximum of 15,000 cubic metres. In Cambridge the average daily figure was 11,800 cubic metres, down from a maximum of 17,000 in 2008.
“Although we have reliable water sources, when there is no rainfall it can put significant pressure on the treatment process. To ensure we maintain adequate supplies, sprinkler restrictions are a reasonably easy way to save water, and we are very pleased with the way our communities responded.”
Waipa’s water supplies are continuously monitored, and if circumstances warrant, options such as sprinkler restrictions could be re-introduced at any time.
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