"Grapefruit" Signs Aim to Reduce Water Waste

Fifteen Water Restriction Status signs have gone up around the Hastings District recently, with the ultimate aim of seeing residents being conservative with their water use.

As a requirement of Hastings District Council’s water-take resource consent with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (and in-line with national regulations), council is required to manage its water demand (from the aquifer and rivers across the district) and have a water conservation strategy.

This is the first year the conservation requirements have been imposed and the signs are the first of several water conservation education initiatives to be rolled out this summer.

Much like the existing ‘Fire Hazard’ signs, the new signs show how residents should conserve water as conditions dry out over summer and will stay up until autumn.

As it dries out the campaign will encourage residents to restrict their discretionary water use, such as using sprinklers for excessive periods, which leads to wasted water.

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule says although on the whole Hastings has a readily available source of water in the aquifer, examples like Bridge Pa running out of water last summer show that the resource needs to be carefully managed during the dry season.

“The aquifer is not an unlimited resource. Overuse does affect the levels and those communities on the edge of the aquifer suffer.

“Rural users annually face water restrictions but urban residents need to take their share of the responsibility for protecting the resource we have too, after all it’s the life blood of our district.”

“This is the first time we’ve used this approach so we’re hoping we don’t have to impose water restrictions this summer. We will monitor the demand and the effect of the campaign and if discretionary use doesn’t drop we’ll consider restrictions,” Mayor Yule says.

As well as the signs HDC is working with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and Napier City Council on a public campaign to give Hawke’s Bay people tips for how to conserve water.