It's United Nations World Water Day March 22nd. This year's theme is 'Water for peace'
The change to Alert Level 2 means sprinklers and watering systems can only be used on alternate days (e.g. even street numbers on even days; odd street numbers on odd days) between 6- 8am and 6- 8pm.
Hamilton City Council’s City Waters Manager, Maire Porter says she appreciates the effort people have made so far this summer and says the move to Alert Level 2 was expected given historical trends and the recent warmer weather.
"Our residents have done a great job with water conservation so far, but as people return from holiday, coupled with our growing population, we have seen a steady climb in water usage. With the warm dry weather expected to continue we have to ensure we don’t use more water than we need so there is enough water for everyone."
Waikato District Council’s Service Delivery General Manager, Tim Harty says conserving water is important.
"We're expecting a long hot summer, so to make sure we have enough water to see us through, we need everyone to do their bit to save water. There are lots of ways to save water, for example taking shorter showers, watering the garden by hand, or washing your car on a piece of lawn which needs watering will save hundreds of litres a day."
Waipa District Council Waters Manager, Tony Hale says while consumption has increased, Waip? residents are taking the Smart Water message seriously and informing Council of residents who are disregarding the rules.
"We’ve seen an increase in calls from the public about people misusing and wasting water. Our waters team have visited homes where taps and hoses have been left on when no one is home and sprinklers have been used excessively in the heat of the day."
Mr Hale says most people want to avoid moving to Alert Level 3 and are doing their part to make sure there is enough water for everyone.
"We are really grateful to our residents acting as our eyes in the district and doing their part to conserve water. We encourage everyone to tell us when they see someone not being smart with water."
Water concerns for Hamilton, Waikato and Waip? can be reported at www.smartwater.org.nz/water-concern-form.
The Smart Water Starts with You! sub-regional summer campaign aims to make long-term change to how we use water and is a joint venture between Hamilton City Council, Waikato District Council and Waipa District Council.