West Coasters urged to conserve water as dry weather continues

Residents of the Grey district are being asked to keep conserving water, because no significant rain is forecast for the coming weeks.

Mayor Tania Gibson said the council may have to implement rolling outages.

The prolonged fine weather and water restrictions made for an unfamiliar experience, she said.

“You can still use your handheld hose, just don’t use sprinklers, turn your tap off when you’re brushing your teeth, do one load of washing a day,” she said. “Just general common sense things, but it’s not really stuff that West Coasters are used to.”

The council had turned off its fountains and the hydroslides at the Westland Recreation Centre.

Gibson said a technical team was working hard to ensure the supply is well managed.

Storage tanks had arrived from Christchurch, and more than 90,000 litres of river water was to be pumped into them for use in the event of a fire.

Meanwhile the West Coast Regional Council said it was monitoring waterways for blooms of the blue-green algae Phormidium, which could grow quickly when rivers are warm and stable.

It can irritate human skin and is lethal if eaten by dogs.