Current water restrictionsNgā rāhui wai

Sprinkler and hose restrictions. These can be used between 6am and 8am, and 7pm and 9pm on alternate days: even-numbered properties on even dates and odd-numbered properties on odd dates.

Full sprinkler ban, with only hand-held hoses able to be used on alternate days between 6am and 8am, and 7pm and 9pm; odd numbered houses on odd days, even houses on even days.

All properties connected to a Council-supplied water system. Council supplies water to properties in Hastings, Havelock North, Flaxmere, Pakipaki, Bridge Pa, Hamoana, Te Awanga, Te Pōhue, Waimārama, Clive, Waipātiki, Whakatū and Waipatu, Whirinaki and Esk, Omahu.

For information on Napier’s current water restriction you will need to check their website.

We will continue to monitor use over summer and change the level as necessary. To reduce the level demand will need to be consistently lower and there will need to be sustained rainfall.

Yes, but keep on top of your maintenance and use a pool cover to minimize evaporation and degradation of water quality leading to further water use.

Yes, but try to minimise your use and if possible, wash your car on the lawn so you get the dual benefit from the water.

A number of things come into consideration when we look at what level we’re at, including current water use and comparison to historical trends; long term weather forecasts and recent rainfall data, stream level and consenting conditions. Dependent on the situation, decisions may be made in liaison with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council. 

Water restrictions in summer play an important role in reducing our community impact on the aquifer, rivers and streams that we all value, at a time when they are under the most stress.

During the summer dry period many parts of New Zealand put water restrictions and bans in place - a measure of how important sustainable water use is.

In summer our local water consumption skyrockets and we use over 50% more than we do in the winter time. This is mostly due to people watering lawns and gardens.

When it’s dry, Council reduces the watering of public gardens and waters at night when there is less load on the system, stops grass watering except where it is required for health and safety reasons (sports fields), and limits splash pad operation to the times when they are most used. Council is also well into a programme of replacing old-style irrigation systems on sports grounds with modern pop-up systems which use water more efficiently.

By all of us doing our bit we can ensure there will be enough drinking water for everyone, the environment is protected, and we don’t breach our Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Resource Consent water limits.

Council continues to run the splash pads as it is preferable to have an option for children to cool off in one place, rather than lots of families running sprinklers in their backyards. Times may be reduced

Yes. Being mindful of our water use isn’t just something we should do over summer, but all year round. We focus on trying to get everyone thinking twice in summer because our water consumption skyrockets, and we use over 50% more than we do in the winter time!

Hastings District Council has a consent from the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to take 16.89 million cubic metres of water per year for the Hastings urban drinking water supply (Flaxmere, Bridge Pa, Paki Paki, Hastings and Havelock North). In the 2023/24 year, 16.04 million cubic metres of water was abstracted for distribution to the community. It also holds consents to draw varying amounts of water for the nine small community water supplies.

On average we fix more than 2000 water leaks each year - an average of 40 a week, or about four a day. Hastings District Council is investing in replacing the old pipe network and puts a priority on fixing leaks as quickly as possible. Hastings’ water supplies are made up of more than 530kms of water mains and 24,000 individual water connections. With that many pipes and connections in the ground we are always going to have water leaks and they happen all year round. If you see water leaks please call 06 871 5000 and tell us where they are so we can get them fixed.

Hastings District Council has built new treatment plants, reservoirs and network infrastructure to improve network drinking water safety, efficiency and sustainability alongside ongoing renewals and maintenance programmes.

Restrictions also apply to Hastings District Council. Hanging baskets, planter boxes and targeted areas of new plantings in public gardens will receive a small amount of water each night at off-peak times. Council has a policy of letting grass in parks ‘brown off’, but some sports fields need to be irrigated for the safety of players. Only those sports fields being actively used for sport are watered. Some green spaces have their own bores for irrigation, such as the Hawke’s Bay racecourse, Showgrounds Hawke’s Bay Tomoana (A & P) Showgrounds, some schools, and Mitre 10 Park Hawke’s Bay).

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is responsible for private bore consents and any restrictions.

While we can prosecute anyone who persistently flouts water restrictions, we prefer to talk to people directly about how they can change their usage.

We regularly drive around the streets to identify illegal use and act on any information we receive from the public.

The vast majority of people abide by the water restrictions while they are in place but there are times when we need to take action against persistent offenders.

Council also has the ability to install a meter and charge for water use, install a restrictor that limits the flow to a property and, as a last resort, take legal action.

We do act on any information we receive in regard to people not complying with the restrictions and we keep callers’ identities anonymous so if you want to report an issue you can contact us confidentially on 06 871 5000.

If you want to report an issue you can contact us confidentially on 06 871 5000.