More water bans likely for rural residents as river levels drop

The Tukituki riverbed during a dry summer spell last year. Photo / Paul Taylor

River levels continue to drop in dry summer conditions, raising the prospect of further bans on taking water from rivers and streams across Hawke's Bay.

There are currently restrictions and bans on taking water from five rivers and 11 streams, and the Hawke's Bay Regional Council is informing people with resource consents to take note of updates via email or text.

Regional council chief executive James Palmer says water restrictions are common for this time of the year, and it is a difficult time when consent holders aren't able to take water.

"The Niwa drought index shows it is very dry, yet we aren't in a drought at this point," he said.

"We aren't in quite the same position that we were in last year facing a drought even though many rivers are approaching similar levels to last year. The farming community are well prepared with plenty of feed in store, from the benefit of plenty of spring rain."

Hawke's Bay Regional Council says more restrictions and bans are likely with river levels still dropping. Photo / Supplied

Palmer added that the management and allocation of groundwater is of interest to the community, and tangata whenua, with a major reform process under way to address this.

"National policy requires that we put the environment first and the economy second when waterways and their inhabitants, such as the fish, insects and birds, come under stress," he said.

The regional council's principal climate scientist, Dr Kathleen Kozyniak, said the La Nina conditions are expected to persist over the next few months.

"There is a greater mix of forecast models covering below, normal, and above normal rainfall over the next three months," she said.

"That inconsistency isn't helpful but the consistency in the pattern says to expect more of what we've had over the past couple of months, with the chance that a tropical system could bring significant rain to resolve concerns about creeping dryness."