Rain forecast for the region but it won't be enough, Watercare says

The Mangatangi Dam in 2008 compared to June 30, 2019. Photo / Watercare

Normal winter weather is forecast to arrive over Auckland in the next fortnight, even bringing some much-needed rain, however, it won't be enough.

Watercare, Auckland's water company, said the total volume of rainfall over winter is unlikely to make up for the dry six months to start this year.

Roseline Klein, head of water value, said around 190mm of rain normally falls in August over the Hūnua and Waitākere ranges - but Watercare needs 265-370mm to make up for the shortfall.

"We absolutely welcome the rain, but we're not out of the woods yet and won't be for a while to come," Klein said.

"We need a phenomenal amount of rain to make up for the record-breaking dry weather from January to June.

"Given that's unlikely, we're still encouraging Aucklanders to be mindful of their water use. It's not about going without – it's about cutting down on wastage."

Last Thursday, a storm over the region bought between 55-70mm and 45-70mm for the Hūnua and Waitākere ranges respectively.

There are nine Watercare dams in the ranges and the total water storage increased from 59.2 per cent to 63.4 per cent after the rainfall.

"It was really good to see our total water storage level rise for the first time in months," Klein said.

"Over the next six weeks, we're hoping that if people are mindful of their water use indoors and use less outdoors, then we can make the most of rain we receive and our dam levels will rise."

Aucklanders are still being urged to conserve water during winter, with the the plea first made on July 1, and she is happy with the response to date.

"We were really pleased to see demand ease off a little across last week. It meant we were able to treat less water – about 115 million litres less than the previous week," Klein said.

Five top tips for being waterwise

• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth or shaving.

• Try to shower for four minutes or less.

• Check to make sure your toilet cistern isn't leaking. Put a few drops of food colouring in the cistern. If colouring ends up in the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a leak.

• Wash full loads of laundry whenever possible. This will save water and energy.

• When hand-washing dishes, fill the sink rather than washing the dishes under a running tap.