Increased water use and predictions of a long hot summer will see a restriction on the use of sprinklers in the Taupō District from today.
Asset manager water Tom Swindells says the level one restrictions mean sprinklers can only be used between 7am and 9am and 7pm and 9pm each day. It is a precautionary measure to manage seasonal demand and will hopefully mean further restrictions can be avoided.
"As the district fills up with visitors and temperatures rise, demand for water increases dramatically," he said. "Last year we saw an increase in demand of 50 percent across the district in January and we are expecting a similar increase this year, so we are asking residents to act now to reduce demand."
"Many people have the impression that because we have the lake at the centre of the district we have an unlimited supply of drinking water but the water we take from the lake has to be treated and pumped to houses, so drinking water is a resource that comes with a cost that we have to manage carefully. The more water we have to treat, the more it costs and a lot of that water just ends up on lawns."
At this time of year, once the sun is high in the sky most of the water you put on your garden will be evaporated. Watering between 7am and 9am and 7pm and 9pm avoids the heat of the day and means you can still maintain lawns and gardens.