3 Apr 2025

Mandatory water restrictions could be on way for Auckland after driest March in 15 years

9:55 am on 3 April 2025
Showerhead with flow of water spilling out on blue background

Photo: 123rf

Auckland has experienced it's driest March for 15 years and there's a warning that mandatory water restrictions could be implemented as soon as June.

Storage in Auckland's dams has dropped below 60 percent after their catchments in the Hūnua and Waitākere Ranges experienced the driest March since 2010.

At this time of year levels would normally be at 74.8 percent.

Watercare head of water Sharon Danks told Morning Report the soil was really dry around Auckland.

While Auckland has had some rain lately, Danks said it probably would not be enough to start filling the dams again.

Auckland's seven-day average water demand was currently 472 million litres per day.

Aucklanders should be conservative with their water use before mandatory restrictions in June, she said.

"Think about things like shorter showers - if everyone reduced their showers by a minute, then we'd save 20 million litres a day.

"When you're watering your garden use trigger nozzle, water the garden at night time when the evaporation is less and things like that."

Watercare was maximising flows from the Waikato River source as opposed to the dams, she said.

While Watercare was hoping not to need future restrictions, it would be somewhat reliant on the weather over the next few months.

Rainfall was forecast to be average to dry over the next couple of months.

"It's better not to have mandatory restrictions so if we can do all we can before June to reduce water demands than that would be great."

Auckland councillor Richard Hills, chair of the policy and planning committee, said Watercare was keeping the council well informed - "they're fixing leaks in record time and their water savings messages are working well".

"But we are relying on all Aucklanders to help out by reporting leaks and continuing to prevent water wastage. If we all do our bit, we can make a huge difference."

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