Low aquifers worry Marlborough winegrowers

1.00pm

Water reserves in Marlborough's Wairau Valley are running low, with some aquifers levels substantially lower than average.

Despite recent steady rain, the Marlborough District Council's well site monitoring shows some aquifer levels are the lowest they have ever been for this time of year.

The council's hydrologist, Peter Davidson, said although staff were concerned at the low levels of some of the aquifers there was nothing to panic about yet. The aquifers need to time recharge naturally and that usually happened during the spring, he said.

"We are concerned but this is nothing unusual from previous year's experience," he said.

Marlborough Winegrowers spokesperson Stuart Smith said the low aquifer levels were of great concern to winegrowers in the region.

"But not only should those people who draw on the aquifers for irrigation be worried, people who rely on it for a shower should be too because the aquifers supply town water," he said.

- NZPA