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Water
Ngā aukati wai

Water restrictions

Different types of water restrictions

We use five levels of water restrictions depending on the time of year and any incidents in the community:

  1. Standby: conserve water notices are issued
  2. Total ban on the residential use of sprinklers, irrigation systems and unattended hoses. Partial restriction on use of hand-held hoses (using the odds and evens street address system).
  3. Total ban on the residential use of sprinklers, irrigation systems, handheld hoses and water blasters until the restriction is lifted.
  4. All customers (residential and commercial) are restricted to essential water use only. This applies to critically low supplies.
  5. Crisis: industry liaison.


Note: levels one and two apply to domestic use, e.g. all residential customers, and all non-commercial use at commercial premises (for instance, a business may not use an irrigation system or sprinklers to water grass or flowers that are not for sale). Normal and typical commercial use of water is permitted. All customers are encouraged to reduce water consumption.

Level one water restrictions are in place from 1 January to 31 March every year unless circumstances require the summer restrictions to start earlier.

Flush your taps each morning

The Ministry of Health advises that some plumbing fittings have the potential to allow minute traces of metals to accumulate in water standing in the fittings for several hours.

Although the health risk is small, the Ministry recommends that you flush a mug full of water from your drinking-water tap each morning before use to remove any metals that may have dissolved from the plumbing fittings.

The Ministry is recommending this simple precaution for all households in New Zealand, including those on public and private water supplies.

This advice is provided throughout the country.

Flush your taps each morning.

Page last updated: 11:55pm Sun 31 March 2024

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06 759 6060 enquiries@npdc.govt.nz
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New Plymouth

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