Tasman District Council has announced water users on council supplies for urban and rural extensions will move to Phase D restrictions, beginning on Friday 22 December.
The areas affected are Wakefield, Richmond, Brightwater, Hope, Redwood Valley 1 and 2, Māpua / Ruby Bay, Dovedale and Eighty Eight Valley.
Nelson residents living adjacent to Champion Road, Wakatū Industrial Estate, and parts of Saxton Road West, where water is supplied from the Richmond Water Supply Scheme, will also face Phase D water restrictions.
I asked Tim O’Connell, Communications Officer, Tasman District Council whether there were any exemptions for the disabled or the very elderly people in our community, he said “There are no exemptions contemplated, but the use of water for human health and wellbeing is not being restricted.”
“The restrictions are implemented to reduce overall water use in the urban supply areas. However they are not put in place to deprive our community - and especially our most vulnerable - of the basic necessities that water provides. While the Phase D conditions minimise the opportunity for outdoor washing, watering and filling of pools, ample drinking and bathing water can be consumed during what we hope is not a long-term period of restrictions. We are asking everyone in our community to do their bit in keeping to the requirements of the water restrictions while they are in place.”
Tasman District Council Group Manager Community Infrastructure Richard Kirby said “a move beyond the existing Phase B restrictions had been anticipated, and we had intended to implement Phase C but use has not decreased sufficiently as we continue our efforts to meet consent conditions.”
“Recent rain, and the possibility of more across the Christmas period, is helpful for the district in managing the wider potential for dry weather scenarios.
We also acknowledge any water released from the Waimea Community Dam will assist in keeping aquifers at stable levels and salinity at bay in the Waimea Plains.
However, restrictions on our urban supplies are guided by the level of abstraction across our water supplies.
As abstractors, we have a responsibility to remain within our consent conditions - we want to avoid exceeding the amount of water Council could extract from its intakes.
Due to excessive use, we need to restrict the amount of water going out. In the meantime, we appreciate everyone’s efforts to make these short term reductions in their water use.”
Under Phase D restrictions;
You can:
- Wash your car using recycled grey water only.
- Do essential outdoor washing for safety reasons, using a bucket only.
- Water listed protected trees every second day only with a hand held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle, watering systems on a timer or a bucket.
- Water your veggie garden and fruit trees every second day using a bucket only.
You can’t:
- Water your flowers/trees/planters.
- Water the lawn.
- Fill or top up a pool, spa or water feature.
- Use water for play.
More information around water restrictions can be found at Current restrictions - reticulated | Tasman District Council
Tasman Communications.
Pigeon Post News, Richmond.
