Published 15/02/2024
Residents' efforts to conserve water to thank for avoiding tighter water restrictions for another week, but continued efforts needed
While we remain at Level 2, continued efforts are needed to keep tighter restrictions at bay.
Wellington Water has been monitoring the situation closely, and our latest modelling shows the risk of tighter water restrictions has reduced. The likelihood of moving to level 3 restrictions before the end of summer has gone down from 60% to 43%, and the chance of level 4 from 23% to 17%. It’s important to note that as we get closer to the end of summer, the overall risk of moving to tighter water restrictions naturally decreases.
However, Metservice is forecasting hot and dry weeks ahead - so it’s critical Wellingtonians continue to keep an eye on their water use.
“It’s clear that the community is doing what they can to reduce water use and following water restrictions.” says Charles Barker, Director of Regulatory Services. “We want to say a huge thank you for all their efforts. The fact that we’ve gotten through the highest risk period this summer and stayed at Level 2 is positive.
“However, we have already started dipping into the storage lakes for the Wellington Metropolitan region and will soon be transitioning over to the lakes as a main source of supply. This means that if we don’t get sustained rainfall/hot and dry, and we continue to draw down on the water stored in the lakes, they won’t have a chance to refill. If usage peaks, or there is a major incident that has a significant impact on supply, we may have to quickly go up to level 3 to ensure there is enough water to go around.”
We acknowledge that the request to conserve water is frustrating when people can see leaks across the network.
“We know that it’s a frustrating situation to be in – and we’re doing all we can to find and fix leaks and reduce water loss. But we’re taking heart in the fact that we’ve remained at Level 2 so far. It shows people understand that while we’re in this situation, the best thing we can do is work together. We’re committed to staying focused on the leaks, and if people keep an eye on their water use, together we’re giving ourselves the best chance at getting through a tricky summer.”
Editor notes
Wellington Water is owned and fully funded by Wellington City Council, Hutt City Council, Porirua City Council, and Upper Hutt City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council and South Wairarapa District Council. All six councils are equal shareholders.
Our councils own the water infrastructure in the region, and they task us to manage the infrastructure and deliver water services to our communities.
Wellington Water is governed by a Board of Directors. The Board and our organisation receive overall leadership and direction from the Wellington Water Committee, which are also responsible for appointing members to the Board.
The Wellington Water Committee is made up of representatives from our council owners and mana whenua.