Due to the long period of hot, dry weather, QLDC has introduced a temporary ban on irrigation in Hawea.

Currently, the water supply is not keeping up with demand so levels in the reservoir are dropping. Effectively, this means that the community is using more water during the day than the pumps can replenish overnight.

The temporary irrigation ban applies to sprinklers and automated watering systems. Residents can still water lawns and gardens with hand-held hoses, preferably in the early morning or the evening, when evaporation will be slower.

QLDC is hooking up a pump from the new borefield, which is not fully commissioned, and linking it to the existing supply from the lake. This together with the irrigation restrictions should provide enough water for everyone at Hawea during the peak holiday period.

QLDC is suspending its own irrigation in Hawea from today. Peter Fraser Park and the reserve by the library won’t be watered while the irrigation ban is in place.