Summer heatwave: Aucklanders use record amount of water as hot weather strikes

The hot weather that scorched the Auckland region yesterday resulted in its residents smashing the previous water consumption record.

According to Watercare, Auckland residents drank or used 524 million litres of water on Tuesday, which is 20 million litres more than the previous record.

"As the mercury rose, so did consumption," it said in a statement.

"Watercare worked to supply more treated water, so that no taps ran dry: producing 530 million litres ―six million litres ahead of demand."

Eighty per cent of Auckland's water comes from dams in the Hūnua and Waitākere ranges, each receiving around 1.8 metres of rain annually.

Currently, dams in both ranges are 92 per cent full and the modelled normal for this time of year is 87.47 per cent, Watercare said.

Aucklanders are also the most efficient water users in the country following findings from the Water NZ performance review in 2016.

Due to a lack of significant rainfall and dropping water levels in Nelson, the City Council has introduced its first stage of water restrictions.

Stage one restricts those in urban areas living in odd-numbered houses to only use sprinklers on odd days and vice versa for even-numbered houses.

The restrictions apply to the use of sprinklers but at this stage to do not apply to areas used extensively by the public, such as bowling greens or golf courses.

Meanwhile, Wellington Water is telling residents to be mindful of their water use as hot weather baking the country enters a third day.

Acting operations general manager Jeremy McKibbin said long-term water storage levels were good, but unprecedented daily demand was putting the supply system under pressure.

"The network can struggle with refilling reservoirs overnight when there's excessive use. Of course we recognise it's hot, and using water to cool the kids off is part of what summer's all about.

"We just want people to be mindful and not waste it. Make sure water goes where it's useful. Put off washing the windows or watering the lawn for a few days until it cools down."

Water use has jumped up right across the region in Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and in Porirua.

Typical daily use on a warm day in the four cities is about 160 million litres, but over the past three days that has jumped to more than 180 million litres a day