Kaikohe urged to save water

Waikotihe Trust chairman Wi Pou fears his hapū's spring, which supplies homes, a marae and a historic church, will dry up unless the council cuts the amount of water it takes from the aquifer beneath Kaikohe.

A Northland hapū is urging Kaikohe residents to conserve water amid fears a precious spring could dry up.

Waikotihe Puna, a natural spring off Squires Lane near Kaikohe, has long supplied the historic Aperahama Church, Ngāti Whakaeke hapū and Kotahitanga Marae.

It also has deep significance for hapū members, who say the spring is key to their identity and life force.

The spring is threatened by a dry winter, increasing demands on groundwater and silt from a logging operation interfering with Kaikohe's usual water supply. Normally Kaikohe takes most of its water from Wairoro Stream north of town, with water pumped from a bore on Monument Hill as a backup.

Water from Waikotihe spring is collected in this tank then piped to homes, a marae and a church.

However, logging near the stream has increased silt levels, blocking filters at the council's Taraire Hills Water Treatment Plant, reducing the volume of water that can be treated. To compensate, the Far North District Council has increased the amount of water it takes from the bore, which taps into the same aquifer that feeds nearby Waikotihe spring.

A relatively dry winter means the water level in the aquifer, 54m below ground level, is lower than normal.

If it drops to 58m Waikotihe spring is expected to dry up and the council's resource consent will ban it from taking any more water. The council expects the water level to drop by another 4m over summer.

Waikotihe Trust chairman Wi Pou said he didn't want to see a repeat of 2012-13 when the spring ran dry because the council was taking more than it should.

The water was better managed now but silting of Wairoro Stream had placed extra demand on the aquifer.

He urged all Kaikohe residents connected to the council supply to cut back their water use to help preserve the spring.

"It's a key part of our identity and the life force of the hapū. To lose it would be devastating for us, but that would also mean Kaikohe's whole water supply is in jeopardy," Pou said.

With a drier than normal summer predicted, many rural Kaikohe and South Hokianga residents would buy water to replenish their rain water tanks. The closest filling point for bulk water trucks was Kaikohe, so that also put pressure on the town water supply.

Council infrastructure manager Andy Finch said extra membrane filters would be installed at the Taraire Hills plant to increase production, but sourcing and fitting the equipment could take five months.

Recent rains could even make the problem worse.

"The aquifer takes months to recharge from rainfall. At the same time, rain falling in the Wairoro catchment will likely increase sediment downstream, putting an extra load on our filters."

If water use did not fall in the next few weeks, restrictions would be imposed and enforced, he said.

The Northland Regional Council, which issues resource consents for logging, has been contacted for comment.

Waikotihe Trust is the kaitiaki (guardian) of the spring and surrounding land.