Tasman's Dry Weather Task Force has updated its water restrictions for consent holders across the district.
Key to this week’s decision making is the release of water from the Waimea Community Dam, which has enabled previous restrictions on Waimea Affiliated and Unaffiliated users to be lifted.
Some welcome rainfall over the weekend and into the early part of this week has been beneficial to the upper part of the Golden Bay catchments and some western tributaries of the Motueka Catchment.
However, other parts of the Tasman District remain subject to higher-level water restrictions due to the ongoing dry conditions.
Therefore, the following water zone restrictions are in place from Monday March 11;
- Tākaka – Water Management Area – FMU – Remains at Stage 1
- Moutere/Dove/Powley Creek – Cease takes remains
- Moutere Eastern Groundwater – Stage 4 remains
- Moutere Western Groundwater – Remains at Stage 2
- Baton/Wangapeka – Rationing removed
- Glenrae/Tadmor/Tapawera – Rationing removed
- Stanley Brook – Stage 1 remains
- Motupiko – Reduce rationing to Stage 1
- Rainy – Stage 2 rationing remains
- Waimea Unaffiliated – Rationing removed
- Waimea Affiliated – Rationing removed
- Wai-iti zones – Stage 1 remains
Dry Weather Task Force Convenor Kim Drummond has reinforced his previous message to water users.
He says to conserve where they can and to not to have the ‘use it or lose it’ approach to water use.
“The Council will continue to monitor water use with consent holders' support to ensure the greatest number of users can manage their needs.
“While we have had some light relief from the rain, and the Waimea situation has been rectified by the dam releasing water, we still have to be careful not to extract more that the water systems can sustainably supply.
“The position will be reviewed at the next meeting of the Dry Weather Taskforce on 12 March 2024. This will provide an important opportunity to reassess the level of restrictions required.
"In the meantime, it is important that consent holders are familiar with their Resource Consent conditions.”
Watering of lawns or decorative gardens is not permitted for any water user situated in water management zones where rationing is in effect.
Please note, these restrictions do not apply to users of Council-managed reticulated water supplies, which are subject to alternative and different restrictions.