• Auckland could be under water restrictions by late May without sustained rainfall, Watercare warns.
• Dam levels are 20% lower than average, with current levels at 61% of their usual for this time of year.
• Stage one restrictions could include alternating garden-watering schedules and a ban on watering between 7am and 7pm.

Aucklanders could be forced to ration water by late May without sustained rainfall, Watercare warns.

The region’s dam levels are 20% lower than the past-three-year average for this time, sitting at 61% full as of Wednesday morning. The average level for this time is 75%.

“What we’re hoping for is sustained rainfall to put our dam levels in a more comfortable position‚" Watercare’s chief operations officer Mark Bourne said.

Aucklanders have been using 483 million litres of water a day, according to a seven-day rolling average, he said.

Lower Huia Dam on 13 March. Auckland's dam levels are 20% lower than the past-three-year average for this time, sitting at 61% full. Photo / Watercare

“Given the dry weather we’ve been experiencing, Auckland’s water use is higher than it normally would be at this time of year, which is most likely due to people watering their gardens.

“If the dry weather was to continue into May, and water usage stayed at current levels, we could hit the trigger for stage one restrictions in late May.”

Those restrictions include alternating garden-watering schedules for odd and even numbered properties, and a ban on watering between 7am and 7pm.

In the meantime, Bourne said, “We’re not asking people to stop watering their gardens - we just want everyone to be more mindful of their water use, particularly outdoors. Most gardens don’t need to be watered every day.

“We also encourage people to use a trigger nozzle attachment on their hose to prevent any water wastage.

“Even if you don’t water your garden, you can still do your bit by keeping your showers short. If all 1.7 million Aucklanders cut their shower time by just one minute, we’d collectively save about 20 million litres a day.”

Bourne said Watercare had received weather forecasts showing April could be drier than anticipated.

“Current forecasts are actually predicting May will be wetter than normal, which would be fantastic, but we know these forecasts can change, and we’re planning accordingly.”

Waitākere Dam on March 13. The region's dams were 61% full as of Wednesday morning. The average level for this time is 75%. Photo / Watercare

Watercare has updated Auckland Council on the latest modelling, and the council was satisfied with the regional water company’s response.

“We’re pleased with how Watercare is managing our water sources, water conservation messaging, the significant work on leak detection and response time to breaks,” policy and planning committee chairman Richard Hills said.

“They’ll keep us updated, and will give us plenty of notice if restrictions are needed at any point.”

Watercare put the region on drought alert when it activated its drought management plan earlier this month. At the time, dam levels were at 66.5% of their average levels for this time of the year.

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news and local stories from Tāmaki Makaurau. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.