Cuts loom as Westland drought continues

Council utilities engineer Ian Forsyth would be under water if he stood at this spot in normal times. Picture / Simon Baker

Residents in Buller face daily cuts to their water supply as the area's worst shortage in a century shows no sign of easing.

Three reservoirs supplying water to 6000 consumers of Westport and neighbouring Carters Beach on the West Coast have plunged to record lows and could dry up if there is no rain in coming weeks.

Efforts are now concentrating on taking extra water from local streams through the reservoirs and preventing further decline.

A plan to pump untreated water to homes and make residents boil it has been abandoned.

The Buller district, on the West Coast, is known for its frequent and heavy rainfall, but the showers have mostly failed to arrive this summer.

Westport's public swimming pool was closed yesterday, while properties were getting water at low pressure.

Buller District Council has asked residents not to take baths or use automatic dishwashers, and to use the half-flush on toilets and dishwashing water to water the garden.

"Basically if we can't maintain the [reservoir] levels we are at at the moment, then there is a strong possibility of water shut-downs for short periods of time," said council spokeswoman Lisa Hankey.

Westport pensioners Raymond and Patricia Kay are showering every second day and are looking at sharing the same bath water.

"I think a lot of people are doing that now," Mr Kay said.

"A lot of people are recycling bathwater for dish-washing water.

"The pot plants are dead because we aren't watering them.

"I don't know the last time I washed my car."

The shortage has brought back memories for Mr Kay of the last water crisis in Westport 20 years ago.

"Everybody was very worried about it, the same as they are now."

Urinals are turned off during the day at the Westport hotel where Allison Bailey works.

"We try to let the glasses build up [before washing]. It takes a bit longer to have a shower - sometimes the pressure drops down to nothing. But the guests have been pretty good. People understand it is not our fault."

Ms Hankey said Buller's water usage was still exceeding water coming in, but most residents seemed to be doing their bit to save water.

"We have a lot of people phoning up to report water leaks, which is great. We have had calls from people concerned about people using hoses. But we still find there is evidence out there of people not really seeming to be aware of how severe [the shortage] actually is."

Ms Hankey said the Buller area needed a week of solid rain before there would be any significant gains.

But the prospects for any decent rainfall in the immediate future appear bleak.

MetService forecaster Peter Little said a couple of cold fronts would bring light rain in the next couple of weeks, but nothing more than 10mm at a time.

Usually, Westport has an average rainfall of 2274mm a year. As a comparison, Auckland has 1240mm.