Community response helps to prevent taps running dry

Efforts to save water by residents and businesses are being credited with preventing taps running dry in Kaikohe on Friday night, and similar supply issues occurring in Rāwene and Ōmanaia over the weekend.

The council asked all Kaikohe households and businesses to urgently reduce consumption late Friday (27 March) or risk the town’s supply reservoirs running out of treated water. The request was made after the river supplying the Taraire Hills Water Treatment Plant became heavily congested by silt and debris following Thursday’s severe rainstorm. The debris blocked the plant’s intake and filters and halted normal water treatment. The town’s reservoir levels dropped to below 50 per cent capacity and the town risked running out of water that night.

A similar call was made the following day to Rāwene and Ōmanaia residents when the Petaka Stream intake became blocked with sediment and debris due to heavy rainfall.

In both cases, the community response saw water consumption reduce quickly, giving contractors time to make running repairs and to address leak reports.

A local State of Emergency was declared by Kahika Moko Tepania and Far North Civil Defence Controller Alastair Wells, on Thursday 26 March as severe weather hit the district and MetService issued a Red Heavy Rain Warning – the highest warning level – for parts of the district.

An Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was stood up by the council that morning in Kaikohe and it continues to respond to communities impacted by the storm. The local State of Emergency remains in place.

Residents are encouraged to continue to lodge Requests for Service (RFS) either online or via our contact centre if they encounter any water leaks or water supply issues, while the EOC prioritises where resources are needed as part of the severe weather response.

The call to reduce water use included practical tips – like taking shorter showers, deferring clothes and dish washing, and flushing only when necessary – to ensure enough water is available for drinking and hygiene.