Tauranga council says enough water for winter despite ongoing restrictions
14 May, 2021 09:00 PM
4 minutes to read
Dry rural land in the Bay of Plenty. Photo / Andrew Warner
Bay of Plenty Times
There is enough water to sustain the city s normal winter use despite water restrictions remaining in place in Tauranga for longer than normal, according to the Tauranga City Council. Stephen Burton, council director of city waters, said yesterday that due to unprecedented dry conditions, stream flow rates that supplied the city s drinking water were down. Stream flows are at an all-time low, which we attribute to the very low rainfall over the past two years, estimated to be more than 30 per cent below the average rainfall.
Dry spell: Region scrambles to adapt to fourth drought-like season in a row
26 Jan, 2021 04:00 PM
6 minutes to read
Primary industry workers and councils are scrambling to adapt as the region braces for its fourth dry season in a row. Some farmers are trucking in water to keep crops growing, while an orchardist says he had to turn on irrigation systems as early as September as his kiwifruit vines were showing signs of the impact of seasonal drought conditions.
Pāpāmoa orchardist Rob Thode said dry conditions were becoming the norm. Photo / George Novak
And a meteorologist warns that weather events like this will only become more common and more extreme in coming decades.