For more information and great water saving tips, visit www.smartwater.org.nz. Photo / Dean Purcell
For more information and great water saving tips, visit www.smartwater.org.nz. Photo / Dean Purcell
With another unusually hot summer in the pipeline, Waipa and Waitomo district councils have joined Hamilton City Council to launch the annual Smart Water campaign.
The campaign was launched this week amid predictions of a warm and humid summer with above-average temperatures.
The Smart Water campaign is encouraging people to start thinking now about their usage, and to take extra care not to waste water as we head into the hottest, driest part of the year.
To get people thinking about being smart with their wai (water), the Smart Water team is sharing the message that We save wai in the Waikato.
Waipā District Council water services manager Martin Mould agrees there is always more people can do to save water, and loves how Smart Water shares new water saving tips every year.
"You might have heard the term 'every drop counts', and over summer it really does," says Martin.
"It's over this period that people's water use dramatically increases. Last year we saw large spikes over December and January, when we want to be most mindful of how much water we use."
Sign up to an e-newsletter which notifies residents of participating councils when each area moves to a new alert level at smartwater.org.nz/subscribe. Photo / Stephen Parker
Hamilton City Council City Waters Unit manager Emily Botje has echoed the campaign message and knows small actions can make a big difference in preventing water wastage.
"We believe that Hamiltonians already do a great job at saving wai (water) in the Waikato, but we know there is always room for improvement," she said.
A large proportion of Waikato's outdoor water use is from hoses and sprinklers as people sometimes use them more often, and for longer than needed.
Pop-up pools can also be a water waster, with hundreds of litres often being discarded instead of treating pool water with chemicals.
"We know this save water messaging can seem repetitive year on year, but we really encourage the community to start thinking about why it's so important," says Emily Botje.
We'd love to know how you save wai (water) in the Waikato. Make sure you're following us on Facebook and Instagram, and stay tuned for some awesome water saving giveaways.
The Smart Water starts with you! sub-regional summer campaign aims to make long-term change to how we use water. The initiative is a joint venture between Hamilton City Council, Waitomo District Council and Waipā District Council.
For more information and great water saving tips, visit www.smartwater.org.nz. Residents can also sign up to an e-newsletter which notifies when each area moves to a new alert level at smartwater.org.nz/subscribe.
Climate change report helps steer discussion on adaptation to drought
Waikato Regional Council has released a report on adapting to climate change, with a focus on drought in the Waikato, and what might be done to successfully adapt to the risks of an uncertain future.
The report draws on the expertise of a wide range of scientists and practitioners involved in managing our water resources. The knowledge of these individuals has been woven together to form a 'map' of the water system and the various factors that affect it.
The result is a tool that can enable public discussions and the exploration of options at different locations and scales to future proof the region from the effects of drought and the challenges of a changing environment.
Mangatangi Dam in the Hunua Ranges south of Auckland was one of many affected by low rainfall last year. Photo / Simon Runting, Watercare
Climate Action Committee chair Jennifer Nickel said the Waikato economy had evolved in an environment where regular rainfall meant the plentiful availability of water.
"But we cannot expect the future to be the same. We will need to adapt to changing circumstances.
"We have developed this framework as a tool to help us understand the range of adaptations we could make and so we can make better policies for our water resources and inform investment decisions."
Nickel said competition over water resources would intensify with increasing demand and limited supply.
"While agriculture may be the most obvious sector dependent on the availability of water in the Waikato, there is demand from other areas, too, such as the growing population of the Waikato and Auckland, industry and hydroelectricity … and we need to consider the ecology of our waterbodies as well."
Nickel said the tool was not a silver bullet, but it would help the council and stakeholders/partners plan for the future with greater confidence.
