Kaikohe water supply at risk

** UPDATE - AS OF 11 AM, SATURDAY 28 MARCH **

Kaikohe urged to continue conserving water as reservoir recovers

The Taraire Hills reservoir in Kaikohe has made good progress overnight, thanks to residents and businesses who made quick efforts to reduce their water use. Reservoir levels have now risen to 64%, easing some of the immediate pressure on the water supply.

Our teams are continuing work today to restore the water treatment plant to normal operation as quickly as possible. At the same time, crews are out identifying and repairing any leaks and ensuring the Kaikohe water network is running as efficiently as possible while treatment processes stabilise.

Until full normal operations resume, we’re asking Kaikohe residents to keep conserving water where you can.

Please continue to:

• Avoid using outdoor hoses or sprinklers
  Hand‑held hoses, irrigation systems, and sprinklers cannot be used.
• Limit outdoor water use to essential needs only
  This includes activities such as watering animals or meeting health‑related requirements.
• Avoid water blasting or washing vehicles
  Unless needed for health, safety, or essential business operations.
• Reduce indoor water use where possible
  Take shorter showers, run dishwashers and washing machines only on full loads, and promptly fix any private leaks.

We thank Kaikohe residents for the continued cooperation and care shown over the past few days. Your efforts are directly helping the network recover.

Further updates will be provided as the situation progresses.

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Taps could run dry in Kaikohe unless residents immediately reduce water consumption.

The council is asking all Kaikohe households and businesses to reduce consumption immediately or risk the town’s supply reservoirs running out of treated water tonight (Friday 27 March).

The call comes after the river supplying the Taraire Hills Water Treatment Plant became heavily congested by silt and debris following yesterday’s severe rainstorm. This has clogged the treatment plant intake and filtration systems.

Staff are clearing the blocked intake and filters but cannot yet treat water at normal volumes. As a result, all customers connected to the council’s Kaikohe water supply are being urged to limit water use to essential needs only for the next two days.

The plea comes despite major consumers, such as the Northland Region Corrections Facility at Ngāwhā, reducing their consumption after the council issued a conservation call this morning.

Council staff say that if levels in reservoirs continue to fall, there is a real possibility that water will stop flowing in Kaikohe taps.