Water use warning ahead of summer holiday season

The need to create good water conservation habits is a key message to Far North residents as summer gets underway.

The message from the council’s Water Shortage Management Committee is that applying water restrictions over the summer months is highly dependent on whether water use remains within the capacity of water treatment plants to supply potable water. Creating good water use habits at the start of summer – like collecting rainwater and taking shorter showers - can help save water and lessen the need to apply restrictions that protect our water sources.

The committee, which is made up of council staff and expert contractors who operate and manage the council’s water assets, has begun its regular meetings in the lead-up to the hot summer season. Committee members discuss the health of the district’s water sources, river flow levels, and weather forecasts to gauge the likely demand for water over summer months. It makes recommendations for water restrictions based on the latest water flow and consumption data, and the water-take consent levels set by Northland Regional Council. Council contractor, Ventia, is continuing its leak detection programme across the district with a summer focus on Ōpononi, Paihia and Kawakawa.

According to Northland Regional Council’s Hydrology Climate Report for October there is a low risk of drought conditions developing in Northland over the next three months.

The report points to these factors:

• rainfall from November 2025 to January 2026 is predicted to be 'near average' or 'elevated'
• river flow catchments were generally 'normal' through October
• ground Water levels in Northland’s key aquifers were primarily 'above normal' to 'normal'
• soil moisture levels are about normal for this time of year
• earth Sciences NZ's Climate Outlook for November to January forecasts 'above average' or 'average' temperatures and rainfall, and 'average' to 'below average' river flows and soil moisture levels. Earth Sciences NZ is an amalgamation of GNS Science and NIWA (as of 1 July 2025).

There are currently no water restrictions in place in the Far North and customers are encouraged to use water sensibly.