Tasman Water Restrictions January 2021
First water restrictions of the season to come into force in Tasman
Article from stuff.co.nz, Jan 28, 2021 - view full article here.
The first water restrictions of the summer in Tasman District are due to come into effect on Monday.
For residents of Richmond, Hope, Brightwater, Redwood Valley, Māpua-Ruby Bay and Wakefield, the restrictions mean they will not be permitted to fill swimming pools although they will still be able to top them up. Watering grass and lawns will be banned but people using a hand-held hose will still be able to water plants and vegetable gardens as well as wash buildings and cars.
These restrictions will apply to homes, businesses and public organisations in those affected areas. They also apply to Nelson residents living adjacent to Champion Rd, whose water is supplied by the Tasman District Council’s Richmond scheme.
On the Waimea Plains, affiliated and unaffiliated consent holders in the Delta, Golden Hills, Redwood, Reservoir, Upper Confined Aquifer, Upper Catchments, and Waimea West water management zones – excluding any individual consent specific cuts – will move to step 1 rationing, which means a 20 per cent drop in water use.
The restrictions come after Tasman Dry Weather Taskforce this week had its first meeting for the summer.
Taskforce convener Dennis Bush-King said the first restrictions were coming in later in the summer than previous years.
“It’s all because of the rain we had in November and early December,” Bush-King said. “That’s seen us through until now.”
However, the water levels had started to decline as a result of the hotter and drier conditions since December “and we will soon reach the trigger level for restrictions in some zones”.
“The current weather conditions will also mean more water use, especially crop irrigation, around the district.”
Bush-King said he wasn’t sure what other restrictions might be imposed during the season, saying it depended on how long the dry, hot weather lasted.
“Thankfully, the demand for water starts tapering off in March,” he said.
Meanwhile, water users in the Riuwaka zone have started rostered use because of falling flows in the Riuwaka River.
Bush-King said there were only a few water users in that zone, and they managed the restrictions themselves.
Full details of the restrictions can be found via tasman/govt.nz/link/water-restrictions, which is due to be updated before the rationing measures come into effect on Monday.
The Dry Weather Taskforce comprises elected Tasman District councillors and council staff along with members of water user groups, Nelson Marlborough Fish & Game, Nelson City Council staff, Ministry for Primary Industries and rural fire.