Residents dob in wasters

Residents are narking on neighbours brazen enough to flout water restrictions in Cambridge.

Waipa District Council this week turned up the heat on the region's water supply by banning sprinkler use. Restrictions are now set at level three meaning only hand-held hoses can be used.

But already some people have been flouting council rules by turning on the taps outside of allocated days.

Seven complaints were made by Waipa's vigilantes, six of whom came from within the Cambridge boundary.

They all dobbed in people watering their gardens using a sprinkling system outside of their allocated days.

Residents' relentless use of these systems contributed to the highest level of water usage in Waipa since the season began - 33 million litres of water was used on Monday alone.

"Despite Water Alert Level 2 already being in place, water use has gone through the roof," said Barry Bergin, Waipa district council's group manager service delivery.

Te Awamutu is not to blame, as their water use remains steady, but the lack of rain in the foreseeable future has forced Waipa to move to water alert level three.

For Waipa residents, including Cambridge, that means sprinklers can no longer be used at any time.

Gardeners will just have to survive with the old-fashioned, hand-held hose.

It has taken only two weeks for Waipa to level-up from restricted sprinkling times to hand-held hosing - the quickest pace they have ever moved.

In the Summer of 2012-2013, the council waited 72 days before moving from water alert level 1 to 3.

It is also the earliest level 3 has been announced. Last year, alert level 3 was not raised until April.

The consistently high temperatures and lack of rain has dropped water levels so low that the Mangauika Stream on Mount Pirongia cannot keep up with Te Awamutu's demand.

In contrast, Cambridge's problem is the struggle to treat and distribute water quickly enough.