Voluntary water restrictions for Dunedin after dry summer
Dunedin residents are being urged to reduce water, or face possible compulsory restrictions.
Water levels were dropping throughout Dunedin’s catchment areas and residents were asked to voluntarily conserve water, Dunedin City Council Three Waters group manager David Ward said.
“Dunedin’s reservoir levels are dropping, demand is increasing, and no significant rain is forecast for the next week. With the warm, dry summer we’re now experiencing, we need to work together to make sure we’re not using more water than necessary.”
Water use has steadily increased in Dunedin since the start of the year. On Sunday it hit 58 million litres per day. Demand is normally about 42 million litres per day.
While the restrictions were voluntary at this stage, the council would have to consider compulsory restrictions in places like Mosgiel if the current rate of demand continued.
“We’re asking people to use water wisely and achieve some simple savings that quickly add up across our area,” Ward said.
That included residents using a watering can or hand-held hose to water their garden or lawn, rather than a sprinkler. Ward also recommended watering only in the evening and early morning, when less water was lost due to evaporation.
Cars and boats could also be washed in the evening, while ponds and private swimming pools should be filled with a hand-held hose in the evening, and private fountains turned off.
More tips on conserving water can be found at www.dcc.govt.nz...
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️